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THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
■a
I
From the Library of
CHARLES DONALD O'MALLEY
1907 - 1970
SPADACRENE ANGLICA.
OR,
T^be English Spa Fountain.
VS.
Spadacrene Anglica.
OR,
The Snglish Spa Fountain.
BV
EDMUND DEANE, M.D. Oxon.
The First Work on the Waters of
Harrogate.
TiETRINTED WITH lO^JRODUCTlON
BY
JAMES RUTHERFORD, L.R.C.P. Ed.
AND 'B10G'I{APHICAL .T^OTES
BY
ALEX. BUTLER, M.B.
Bristol: JOHN WRIGHT & SONS LTD.
London: Simpkik, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent 5,: Co. Ltd.
1922
INTRODUCTION.
If the Author of " Spadacrene
Anghca " could see our modem
Harrogate, for whose existence he is
to no small extent responsible, he
would be justly entitled to consider
his labours as well spent, however
surprised he might be at the change
that had taken place in the village as
he knew it in the year 1626. For so
was Harrogate in those years, a small
scattered hamlet, part of that great
Royal Forest of Knaresborough,
extending westward from the town of
Knaresborough for about 20 miles
towards Bolton Abbey, with an
average depth of about 8 miles from
North to South, a Royal Forest, as
Grainge in his History thereof pre-
mises, from the year 11 30 until 1775.
INTRODUCTION
Not only the change in the physical
aspect of Harrogate would have been
noted by our author. Since his days,
within a radius of a few miles, have
been found over 80 mineral springs,
whereby Harrogate is distinguished
from all other European health
resorts. Not that the curative powers
of these waters were altogether un-
known before Edmund Deane extolled
the merits of the Tuewhit Well in
** Spadacrene Anglica." Indeed, he
would be a bold man who would
dogmatically lay down at what period
the powers of these waters were un-
known. Thus, in mediaeval times the
waters of St. Mungo's and St. Robert's
were accredited with miraculous
powers. The Tuewhit Well itself
derives its name, according to some
authorities, from its association in pre-
Roman times with the pagan God Teut.
" Spadacrene Anglica " was pub-
lished by Dr. Edmund Deane, an
eminent physician of York, in the
year 1626, and passed through three
INTRODUCTION 7
editions after his death. All these
editions are very scarce, and although
there are copies of the four editions
in the British Museum, there are only
two other copies known to exist. I
was indeed fortunate, therefore, when
some seventeen years ago I picked up
a copy in a well-known second-hand
book shop in Harrogate. Now I am
reprinting it, not so much for its
interest to my professional brethren
as a quaint and learned contribution
to medical literature in the seven-
teenth century, but because it is the
earliest and most indispensable source
of the history of the waters of
Harrogate.
A careful study of it will correct a
number of remarkable errors, which
now pass current as historical facts in
connection with the rise into fame of
Harrogate as our premier Spa. These
errors would never have arisen had
there been a more free access to
this very scarce book. Most writers
appear to have depended for their
INTRODUCTION
knowledge of its contents upon the
summary of it contained in Dr.
Thomas Short's " History of Mineral
Waters," published about a century
after the publication of " Spadacrene
Anglica." In commenting on this
and other works abridged in his
History, the learned author states :
" Some of them are very scarce and
rare. Therefore, such as have them
not, have here their whole substance,
and need not trouble themselves for
the treatises." Unfortunately^ they
did not have their " whole substance,"
and hence these errors.
" Spadacrene Anglica " deals mainly
with the Tuewhit Well or the English
Spa. It is not my intention to discuss
here either the history of its distin-
guished author or the early history of
the English Spa. This task has been
kindly undertaken for me by my
friend and colleague. Dr. Alexander
Butler, to whom I take this oppor-
tunity to express my grateful thanks
for his very suggestive contribution.
INTRODUCTION
Suffice it for the purpose of this short
introduction to state that the medicinal
quaUties of the Tuewhit Well were dis-
covered about fifty-five years prior
to the publication of " Spadacrene
Anglica," the credit of the discovery
being due to a certain Mr. William
Slingsby, not to his nephew, Sir
WilHam Slingsby as has been per-
sistently but erroneously stated. The
Tuewhit Well was first designated
" The English Spa " in or about the
year 1596 by Timothy Bright, M.D.,
sometime rector of both Methley and
Barwick in Elmet, near Leeds, which
goes far to support the well established
belief that the waters of the Tuewhit
Well were the first to be used internally
for medicinal purposes in England.
To-day the word Spa is, of course,
a general term for a health resort
possessing mineral waters, but in the
days of Dr. Timothy Bright no such
meaning attached to it ; Spa was the
celebrated German health resort, and
one can readily conceive with what
10 INTRODUCTION
patriotic enthusiasm Dr. Timothy
Bright would proclaim the Tuewhit
Well as " The English Spa " when the
medicinal properties of this Well were
found to resemble those of the two
famous medicinal springs of Sauveniere
and Pouhan at Spa.
" Spadacrene Anglica " (as already
mentioned) was published in 1626.
Later in the same year appeared
another work on Harrogate, entitled
" News out of Yorkshire," by Michael
Stanhope, Esq. Further, the time of
Mr. William Slingsby's birth has been
traced back to between the years 1525
and 1527. The year 1926 is therefore
the tercentenary of the publication of
Deane's " Spadacrene Anglica," and
Stanhope's *' News out of Yorkshire,"
and may also be regarded as the
quatercentenary of the birth of Mr.
William Slingsby. What a triple event
for commemoration !
In this edition of " Spadacrene
Anglica " the original title-page and
initial letters have been artistically
INTRODUCTION 11
reproduced by the publishers ; the
text has not been modernized except
in the case of the old vowel forms
I and U for the consonants J and V.
Otherwise, the original spelling and the
use of capitals and italics have been
retained. The long S has not been
retained. With these slight changes
one cannot but admire the forceful
English in which it is written, and the
clearness of the style of the author.
I am indebted to my daughter
Dorothy for the sketch of the Tuewhit
Well.
JAMES RUTHERFORD.
Saint Mmigo,
12, York Road,
Harrogate, 1921.
Biographical ^H^tes
OF
Edmund T)ea?ie^ 3^.D.
and others
in relation to the T'uewhit Well,
"the English Spa.
BY
ALEX. BUTLER, M.B.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
of Edmund Deane and others in relation
to the English Spa.
nPHE present reprint of " Spada-
crene Anglica " should arouse
a keen literary interest in its author,
Edmund Deane, and in the early his-
tory of Harrogate. As one who had
the privilege of reading the original
edition of this work, belonging to
Dr. Rutherford, I was struck by
the marked contrast between Deane's
account of the histor}^ of the medicinal
waters of Harrogate, and that which
is to be found in more recent writinejs
on that subject.
These modern accounts cannot be
better or more authoritatively exem-
plified than by taking a short extract
16 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
from the article " Harrogate " in the
*' Encyclopsedia Britannica."^
" The principal chalybeate Springs are the
Tewitt well called by Dr. Bright, who wrote
the first account of it, the English Spaw, dis-
covered by Captain William Slingsby of Bilton
Hall, near the close of the i6th. Century "
This paragraph, as a statement of
facts, accurately sets out what is to
be found in more or less detail in the
accessible literature of to-day and
will be referred to afterwards as the
recognised history of Harrogate. It
has received the express or tacit sanc-
tion of the Corporation of Harrogate
and is embodied in its publications.
Further a memorial has been erected
to Sir William Slingsby, the Captain
WilHam Slingsby of Bilton Hall re-
ferred to in the above quotation, as
the discoverer of the Tuewhit Well.
Notwithstanding the complete cre-
dence that has been given to this
account for many years, I think there
^"Encyclopaedia Britannica," nth ed., 1910-11,
vol. xiii, page 27.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 17
can be no doubt that it is entirely
erroneous, and that unmerited fame
has been given to Sir Wilham Shngsby
as the discoverer of the medicinal
qualities of the Tuewhit Well, and
to Dr. Bright as the author who first
wrote an account of it.
Deane's history of the medicinal
springs of Harrogate in the Elizabethan
period is to be found in the earlier
chapters of his book. It is therefore
only necessary to mention here that,
according to " Spadacrene Anglica "
the Tuewhit Well was not discovered
by Captain (or Sir) WilHam Slingsby,
it was not discovered near the close of
the i6th Century, and Dr. Bright did
not write an account of it. It is hardly
credible that the history as given in
the extract from the '' Encyclopsadia
Britannica " is actually derived from
" Spadacrene Anglica." Yet such is
the case. Owing to the great rarity
of the first edition of that book, and
the fact that the later editions were all,
more or less, abridged or incomplete.
18 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
a series of plausible conjectures by
later writers founded on these im-
perfect editions has evolved a history
of Harrogate in this period which is,
as regards the main facts, largely
fictitious. The object of the following
biographical notes is, briefly, to re-
state the history of Harrogate during
the Elizabethan period, in terms of the
only reliable source for such a purpose,
and to trace the accumulated errors, as
far as possible, to their origin and
source, an inquiry which the reprint
of " Spadacrene Anglica " at the pres-
ent time makes not inopportune.
No histor}^ of Harrogate should be
written, unless preceded by a bio-
graphical note of the author of " Spada-
crene Anglica," to whom and to
whose work Harrogate doubtless owes
its position as the premier Spa of this
country ; and it is v/ith no little sense
of the fickleness of fame that one finds
his name so little known, and his worth
as a writer unrecognized. As far as I
know, no biography has been written
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 19
heretofore, nor is his hfe given in the
various collective records of the lives
of British medical men, such as Aikin,
etc.^ The same neglect of him occurs
in the ''Dictionary of National Bio-
graphy," where in view of the national
importance of the Spas of this country,
a biography of Deane might not un-
reasonably be expected. Here and
there one is able to glean some small
scraps of information about him, but
the result of all the gleanings from
contemporary records, so far, can be
condensed in a very small compass.
It does not seem amiss therefore to
record here what is known of the
" father of Harrogate " albeit at pres-
ent unrecognized by his off-spring.
Deane was descended from a family
who for many generations lived at
Saltonstall, a hamlet in Warley in the
^ J. Aikin, " Biographical Memoirs of Medicine in
Great Britain from the Re^^val of Literature to the
time of Harvey," 1780. Wm. MacMichael, " Lives
of British Physicians," 1830. T. J. Pettigrew,
" Medical Portrait Gallery," 1838. G. T. Bettany.
" Eminent Doctors, their Lives and their Works,"
20 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
parish of Halifax, and whose history
appears to have been quite unevent-
ful.^ Owing to the frequency with
which the same Christian names occur
in the Parish Registers, it is by no
means easy to identif}/ the several
families of the name of Deane, but in
1612 the family from which the author
of " Spadacrene Anglica " was des-
cended, recorded in the College of
Arms a short entry of pedigree, of
which a copy is appended. His
parents were Gilbert Deane of Salton-
stall and Elizabeth, daughter of Ed-
mund Jennings of Seilsden in Craven,
and their family consisted of four
sons, viz. Gilbert, Richard, Edmund
and Symon (twins). The date of birth
of Edmund is not known, but the
entry of baptism is on 23rd of March
1572." The mother seems to have
died at their birth, for the date of her
funeral is but two days' later.^
^ Watson, J., " The History and Antiquities of the
Parish of Halifax in Yorkshire," 1775.
" " The Register of HaUfax," Part i, 1910, page 205.
" " The Register of HaUfax," Part 2, 1914, page 233,
The Yorkshire Parish Register Societ}".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
21
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22 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Of the brothers of Edmund, Gilbert,
the eldest, apparently lived at Salton-
stall, and it was his son, John Deane,
who eventually became the chief bene-
ficiary under the Will of Edmund.
Symon (or Michaell Symon), the twin
brother, died at the age of seven years.
His remaining brother, Richard, bom
in 1570, entered Merton College,
Oxford, in 1589, and in 1609 succeeded
Dr. Horsfall as Bishop of Ossory. He
died in 1614.
Edmund also entered Merton Col-
lege, matriculating 26th March, 1591,
and took the degree of B.A. on the
nth of December, 1594. He then
" retired to St. Alban's Hall, where
prosecuting his geny which he had to
the faculty of physic " he was licensed
to practise medicine on the 28th
March, 1601, subsequently taking his
degrees of M.B. and M.D. as a member
of that hall on the 28th of June, 1608.
He was incorporated at Cambridge in
1614. After taking his degrees in
medicine he retired to York and
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 23
practised in that city till his death in
1640.^
Nothing further is known of his life
in York, except that Camidge''' states
that he occupied a house adjoining the
residence of Mr. Laurence Rawden in
the street called Pavement, a name, it
has been suggested^ derived from the
Hebrew Judgement seat " in a place
that is called the Pavement," — this
being that part of the City of York
where punishment was inflicted and
where the Pillory was a permanent
erection. It is not unreasonable to
suppose that this fact was responsible
for Deane's tender pity for the " poore
prisoners " in his Will.
In 1626, Deane published his " Spa-
dacrene Anglica " which is here re-
printed. " Spadacrene Anglica " is a
model of lucid and logical exposition.
^ Anthony A. Wood, " Athena; Oxoniensis," ed.
Bliss, vol. ii, page 660. " Alumni Oxoniensis,"
arranged by Joseph Foster. Vol. i, 1500-1714.
- Ci\midge, Wm., " Ye Olde Streete of Pavement,"
York, c. 1S93.
3 Davies, R., " Walks through the City of York,"
1880, page 247.
24 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
It provides a quaint and interesting
epitome of the medical opinion of the
day, but it is of more special interest
as the source for the earliest history of
the Harrogate waters. Its importance
from this particular standpoint will be
considered later.
Later in the same year Michael
/Stanhope published his " Newes out of
Yorkshire," and in this book he gives
a lively description of his journey with
Deane to the Well " called at this day
by the country people, Tuit Well, it
seemes for no other cause but that
those birdes (being our greene Plover)
do usually haunt the place." The
following extract of the first recorded
1 visit to Harrogate will, I think, be of
interest.
" In the latter end of the summer 1625, being
casuaUy with Dr. Dean (a Physitian of good
repute at his house at York, one who is far
from the straine of many of his profession, who
are so chained in their opinion to their Apothe-
cary Shops, that they renounce the taking
notice of any vertue not confined within that
circuit) he took occasion to make a motion to
me (the rather for that he remembered I had
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 25
been at the Spa in Germany) of taking the aire,
and to make our rcndez-vouz at Knaresbrongh
to the end wee might be the better opportuned
to take a view of the Tuit-well (whereof he had
sparingly heard) for that it was by some com-
pared to the so much fam'd Spa in Germany.
I was not nice to give way to the summons of
his desire : the match was soon miade, and the
next day, accompanied with a worthy Knight
and judicious admirer, and curious speculator
of rarities, and three other physitians of allow-
able knowledge, we set forwards for Knares-
brough, being about fourteen miles from Yorke.
We made no stay at the towne, but so soone
as we could be provided of a guide, v/e made
towards the Well, which we found almost two
miles from the Towne. It is scetuate upon a
rude barren Moore, the way to it in a manner a
continual ascent. Upon our hrst approach to
the Spring we were satisfied that former times
had taken notice of it, by reason it was en-
cloased with stone, and paved at the bottome.
but withal we plainely perceived that it had
been long forgotten ^ which the filth wherewith
it was choaked did witnesse, besides that
through neglect the current of other waters
were suffered to steale into it. Before any per-
emptory triall was made of it, it was thought fit
first to dense the Well, and to stop the passage
of any other waters intermixture, which within
the compasse of an hour we effected. The
bottom now cleared, we plainely descried
where the waters did spring up, and then the
Physitians began to try their experiments.
^ cf. " Spadacrene Anglica," page 125.
26 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
But, first of all I dranke of it and finding it to
have a perfect Spa relish (I confesse) I could
not contain but in a tone louder than ordinary
I bad them welcome to the Spa. Presently
they all took essai of it, and though they could
not denie, but that it had a different smack
from all other common waters, most confessing
that it did leave in the pallate a kinde of acid-
nesse, yet the better to be assured whether it
did partake with Vitrioll, the prime ingredient
in the natural Spa, they mixed in a glasse the
powder of Galls with this water, knowing bj'
experience if this Minerall had any acquaintance
with the Spring, the powder would discolour
the water and turne it to a Claret die ; wherein
they were not deceived, for presently (to their
both wonder and joy) the water changed colour,
and seemed to blush in behalf of the Country,
who had amongst them so great a jcwell and
made no reckoning of it You may
suppose (being met together at our Inne, where
we found ourselves very well accomodated for
our provision) we could finde no other talke
but of this our new Spa. . . .Three days after
our return to York, Dr. Deane (whose thirst
for knowledge is not superficially to be satis-
fied) by the consent of his fellow-physitians
sent for a great quantity of the water in large
violl glasses, entending partly by evaporation
and partly by some other chimical means to
experiment it "
It would certainly appear from a
perusal of the above, that at the
latter end of the year 1625, Deane
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 27
knew little of the medicinal value of
the English Spaw. But such a con-
clusion is entirely opposed to the
dedication and text of " Spadacrene
Anglica," which clearly indicates that
Deane was a close personal friend of
the eminent physicians Dr. Timothy
Bright, and Dr. Anthony Hunton of
Newark - upon - Trent, who for years
had been recommending the waters
to their friends and patients. More-
over Deane himself had paid many
visits to the English Spaw with the
physicians of York, and had been at
last induced to commit his knowledge
to print. Is it permissible to use
imaginative license and see in Deane
a humorist who persuaded Stanhope
" of taking the aire " while professing
no intimate knowledge of the spring,
yet going the length of taking the
powder of Galls in his pocket to pro-
duce a stage effect, which he had
never found to fail ?^
*" Spadacrene Anglica," page 92.
28 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Stanhope readily adopts the plover
origin of the name Tuewhit, but the
silence of Deane is suggestive of his
doubt, and especially so as he men-
tions the pigeons haunting the sulphur
springs as " an arguement of much
salt in them." There is no obvious
reason of this kind for the plovers
frequenting the Tuewhit Well in pre-
ference to any other spring in the
neighbourhood.
In 1630, Deane published a number
of Tracts which had been left more or
less incomplete by Samuel Norton.
His share in the authorship of the
different tracts varies. The titles of
one or two will sufficiently indicate
the nature of the subjects, and it can
be seen that his studies included the
philosophical stone, and other subjects
receiving attention at the present time,
such as " culture pearls."
" Mercurius Redivivus, seu modus
conficiendi Lapidem Philosophicum."
" Saturnus Saturatus Dissolutus et
Coelo restitutus, seu modus com-
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 29
ponendi Lapidem Philosophicum . , . e
plumbo. . ."
" Metamorphosis Lapidem ignobi-
lium in gemmas quasdam pretiosas,
seu modus transformandi perlas parvas
...in magnas et nobilis. .." etc. etc.
Edmund Deane married twice, first
to Anne, widow of Marmaduke Had-
dersley of Hull ; the date is not known,
though it was before the entry of
pedigree was recorded in 1612. In
1625, he had a license at York to
marry Mary Bowes of Normanton at
Normanton. There does not appear
to have been a famity by either of his
wives.
He died in 1640, and was buried in
St. Crux Church, York. This church
was demolished about the year 1885,
as it was considered structurally un-
safe, but there does not appear to have
been any memorial erected to him in
the church. The manuscript Regis-
ters of the Parish of St. Crux are in the
College of Arms : the manuscript ex-
tracts do not commence until the year
30 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
1678. His Will, however, is preserved.
It is dated 30th of Oct. 1639, and
was proved at York on the 14th of
April, 1640.
In a biography it should be the task
of the writer to visualise the personality
of his subject as well as to record
merely the material events of his life.
In this instance it would be quite
impossible to do so from lack of
material, but yet from his works, and
from the opinion held of him by
Michael Stanhope, and last, but not
least, from the contents of his own Will,
I think some picture can be painted of
him. A man of learning is shown
from his writings : a perusal of " Spa-
dacrene Anglica " will exhibit both
the clearness of his intellect and the
forcibleness of his style. For many
years he successfully practised medi-
cine at York. He was held in high
esteem among his professional breth-
ren, and was recognized by them as a
leader in the profession with a broad
mind, ready to listen to and investigate
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 31
new ideas. His personality is fully
and finely revealed in his Will, and
as this is the only biography, as it
were, written by himself, I append
an extract from it, so that he may
speak for himself.
In the name of God, Amen.
I Edmund Deane of the Cittye of Yorke
Doctor of Phisicke being some what weake of
bodye, yett in good & pfect remembrance of
mynd & understanding (praised be God there-
fore) and calUng to mynd the uncertainety of
this my naturall hfe & my mortahty, not
knowing howe soone I shall laye downe this my
earthly Tabernackle & be gathered to sleepe in
the grave wth my fathers doe therefore accord-
inge to the holy Ghost directions make, con-
stitute, ordayne & declare this my last Will and
Testament for the better setleing of peace &
concord amongst my wife, friends & kindred
heareby revokeing in acte, deede and in lawe
all other former Wills & testaments whatsoever)
In manner & forme following.
That is to say first & principally I comend
& bequeath my soule unto the ever blessed
hands of Almighty God my heavenly father my
maker & creator, whoe out of his meer mercy,
free will & love to mankinde & to me in pticuler
did vouchsafe to send his onely begotten sonne
before all eternity, Christ Jesus the pmissed
Messias into this world to save sinners (whereof
^th gt. paull I confesse my selfe the greatest)
to laye downe his life for mankinde & that he
32 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
dyed for me & for my salvacon, & that he rose
againe the third day for my iustificacon, that
where he now is, I shall be there alsoe after my
dissolution & I hope & looke to be saved only
by his mirritts, death & passion alone, & by noe
other meanes whatsoever, & when itt shall
please Almighty God to putt an end & period
to these my dayes here on earth, ending this
my pilgrimage, and laycing dov.ne this my
earthly Tabernackle.
Then I comitt & bequeath this my nov/e
liveing body to the earth from v.hence itt came,
& the same to be bur37cd (yf I fortune to dye in
Yorke or otherwise yf itt may be done w^
convenyency) in the p'ish Church of St. Crux
w^in the said Citty of Yorke in the Chancell
of the said Church & to be enterred as neare as
may be unto the body of my late dearely be-
loved wife Anne Deanc deceased w^out any
bowelling or embalmeing, & there to be decently
enterred by toarch light, w^out any further
funerall pom.pe or solempnity whatsoever,
beinge (as I thinke) a custome not altogeither
laudable to banquett & feast att funeralls w-''
rather ought to be a tyme of m.curneing, then
banqueting and feasting
w^^^ said body of myne I knowe & beleivc
assuredly that I shall rise againe att the last
day, & be reunited & ioyned againe unto m}'
soule & that itt shall be made like unto Christ
his glorious body, that M'here he is, there I
shall be alsoe liveing and reigneing w^ him in
his everlasting kingdome for ever.
Now concerning my temporall Estate w*^'*
God in his mercy hath vouchsafed to bestov.e
on me (or rather lent me as his steward) I
bequeath it thus as follov.eth
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 33
First I give & bequeath to Mr. Roger Belwood
my pastor thirt}^ shillings.
Item I give to the poore people of the Cittye
of Yorke three pounds XX^ whereof to be
distributed to the poore of the Warde where I
now live and the remmant to the poore of the
other three Wardes equally to be divided.
Item I give to the poore prisoners of the
castle of Yorke XX^ and to the poore prisoners
on Ouseb ridge called the Kidcoate X* and to
the poore prisoners of S'- Peters prison in Yorke
x^
Item I give to the poore people of the old
hospitall or massing dewes of the Citty of Yorke
thirty shillings. Item whereas
Item my Will meaninge and harty desire is
that my nowe loveing wife Mary Deane shall &
may quietly have & enjoye all her widdowe
rights whatsoever according to this pvince of
Yorke w^'^out any further trouble molestacon
or vexacon or suite in lawe and that my Exe-
cutor shall not make any claime to any such
goods or plate as she the said Mary had in her
former widdowhood & brought w*'^ her to me
att her marriage w'^ me. Item I give to my
said nowe loveing wife as a legacy my coatch
horses & furniture & what hay or oates, coales,
turfes & fuell shall be in my howse att my
death. Item I give
Item I give to Margery Smeton yf shee be my
servant at my death forty shillings and to each
other of my servants att my death tenn
shillings.
All the rest of my goods & chattells unbe-
queathed, my debts and funerall expenses dis-
charged I give and bequeath to my loveing
34 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
nephewe Mr. John Deane of Saltonstall Attumey
in his Ma*>' Court of Ccmon Pleas att West-
minster & eldest Sonne of my late brother Gilbert
Deane of Saltonstall deceased w^^ said John
Deane I doe ordayne constitute & make my
sole & onely Executor of this my last Will &
Testament
And for as much as most of my Estate doth
consist in debts, w"^^ will require tyme for
gathering in, my Will & meaneing is that this
my said executor shall have twelvemonethes
tyme for the payment of the greater legacies ....
And further my meaneing is That for as
much as my said Executor John Deane by
Gods pvidence is likely to be lame by a fall &
not to live & followe his profession as an Attur-
ney to London (but as it weare undone) whome
I have made my onely & sole Executor of this
my last Will & Testament. Therefore all my
nephews & kindred may know I have given
them smaU legacy to doe him good
In Witness etc.
In " Spadacrene Anglica " Deane
mentions that " out of the divers fount-
ains springing hereabouts " five are
worthy the observation of physicians.
These are —
I. — The Dropping Well.
2. — The Sulphur Well at Bilton
Park.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 35
3. — The Sulphur Well near Knares-
borough.
4. — The Sulphur Well at " Haregate
head."
5. — The Tuewhit Well, or The
English Spaw.
The number of springs worthy the
observation of physicians has largely
increased and the relative importance
of the five mentioned has altered con-
siderably since Deane wrote. But in
1626, The Tuewhit Well, or The English
Spaw, was regarded as the most
worthy of fame. This well, according
to the later writers, was discovered
by Captain (afterwards Sir) William
Slingsby : — in Chapter 6 of *' Spada-
crene Anglica," however, a Mr. William
Slingsby is given as the discoverer.
" The first discoverer of it to have any
medicinall quality (so far forth as I can learn),
was one Mr. William Slingesby, a Gentleman
of many good parts, of an ancient and worthy
Family neere thereby : who having travelled
in his younger time, was throughly acquainted
with the taste, use, and faculties of the two
Spaw fountaines. In his latter time, about
55 yeei'es agoe it was his good fortune to live
36 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
for a little while at a grange house very neare
to this fountaine, and afterwards in Bilton
Parke all his Ufe long."
From this it appears that the dis-
covery was made by Mr. William
Slingsby in his later years, about the
year 1571, but if the Mr. William
Slingsby here referred to was Sir
William Slingsby he would have been
a youth of some 8 or 9 3^ears in 1571.
Secondly, one would judge from the
text that the Mr. WilHam Slingsby
referred to by the writer was dead at
the time that he wrote, namely 1626,
whereas, as a matter of fact, Sir William
Slingsby was alive until the year 1634.
Thirdly, it is impossible to conceive
that Edmund Deane would refer to
Sir William Slingsby as Mr. William
Slingsby, seeing that the former was
knighted in 1603, or 23 years prior
to the publication of Deane's work.
It is therefore abundantly clear that
Sir William Slingsby — a very gallant
gentleman — has no claim to the fame
which history has insisted upon
according him.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 37
The fact is that the Mr. WilHam
Slingsby referred to^ was the fourth
son of Thomas SHngsby of Scriven,
who married Joan, daughter of Sir
John Mallory of Studley, and who
had a family of six sons and four
daughters. The name of the eldest
son was Francis, and, as just men-
tioned, WilHam was the fourth son.
Sir William Slingsby was the seventh
son of Francis and the nephew there-
fore of Mr. William Slingsby. Mr.
William Slingsby was buried at Knares-
borough on the 8th of Oct., 1606,
but the date of his birth does not seem
to have been recorded. His elder
brother, Francis, died in 1600 at the
age of 78, so that he was born in 1522.
It is not unreasonable to suppose that
William, his brother, one of a large
family, was born between the years
1525 and 1527. He would therefore
be somewhere between 44 and 46
years of age, when he discovered the
^ " Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire,"
Joseph Foster, 1874, Vol. i (West Eiding).
38 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
medicinal qualities of the Tuewhit Well,
which equally accords with Deane's
statement that in his younger days
he had travelled in Germany.
So far as I can trace, Hargrove^ is
the first author to confuse the uncle
and the nephew. He writes that the
well
" was discovered by Capt. William Slingsby,
about the year 1571. This Gentleman, in the
early part of his life, had travelled in Germany,
where he made himself acquainted with the
Spaws of that country. He lived sometime at
Grange House, near the Old Spaw, from whence
he removed to Bilton Park, where he spent the
remainder of his days. He made severall trials
of this water, and finding it like the German, he
walled it about, and paved it at the bottom,
leaving a small opening for the free access of
the water. Its current is always near the
same, and is about the quantity of the Sauvenir,
to which Mr. Slingsby thought it preferable."
From this quotation it is clearly
apparent that Hargrove erroneously
inferred that Mr. Slingsby and Capt.
Slingsby were the one and the same
* E. Hargrove, " The History of the Castle, Town.
and Forest of Knaresbrough, with Harrogate and its
medicinal Springs." 2nd. ed., 1775, page 45. I have
not seen the 1769 ed.
BIOGR.\PHICAL NOTES 39
person instead of being uncle and
nephew. In the 3rd edition of the
" History of Knaresborough," pub-
lished in 1782, the reference to Mr.
Slingsby is omitted and from that
edition onwards, Captain Slingsby
appears as the discoverer of the
Tuewhit Well in 1571, a discovery
clearly inconsistent with the fact that
he was born in the year 1562.
The source of Hargrove's informa-
tion in the above quotation is, without
doubt, the summary of '' Spadacrene
Anglica," published by Dr. Short in
1734 in his History of Mineral waters.^
The summary by Short of Chapter 6
of " Spadacrene Anglica " is as
follows :—
" This fifth Spaw is a Mile and half from
Knaresburgh, up a very gentle ascent, near
Harrigate, has much the same Situation as
the foresaid Spaws in Germany. It was
discovered first about fifty years ago, by one
Mr. William Slingsby, who had travelled in
Germany in his younger Years, seen, and been
^ Thomas Short, M.D. "The Natural Experimental
and Medicinal History of the Mineral Waters, etc."
1734. page 238.
40 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
acquainted with theirs ; and as he was of an
ancient Family near the place, so he had fine
Parts and was a capable Judge. He lived
some time at a Grange-House near it ; then
removed to Bilton-Park, where he spent the
rest of his Days. He, using this Water yearly,
found it exactly like the German Spaw. He
made several Tryals of it, then walled it about,
and paved it in the bottom with two large
Stone-flags, with a Hole in their sides for the
free Access of the Water, which springs up
only at the bottom, through a Chink or Cranny
left on purpose. Its current is always near the
same, and is about the quantity of the Sauvenir,
to which Mr. Slingsby thought it preferable
being more brisk and lively, fuller of Mineral
Spirits, of speedier Operation ; he found much
benefit by it. Dr. Tim. Bright, about thirty
years ago, first gave it the name of the English
Spaw : Having spent some time at those in
Germany, he was Judge of both ; and had so
good an Opinion of ours, that he sent many
Patients hither yearly, and every Summer
drank the Waters himself. And Dr. Anthony
Hunter, late Physician at Newark-upon-Trent,
often chided us Physicians in York, for not
writing upon it, and deservedly setting it upon
the Wings of Fame."
A more consistent form has been
given to the error by Grainge, who in
1862 pubhshed a memoir of the Life
of Sir WiUiam SHngsby, Discoverer of
the first Spaw at Harrogate. Grainge,
like Hargrove, had only access to
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 41
Short's summary, but he sees the diffi-
cult}' to which I have alhided, for
he writes^ : —
" From the uncertain expression of the Dr.
' about 50 years ago ' the date of this dis-
covery is generally fixed in the year 1576,
though it is probably twenty years or more too
early, as at that time Slingsby would only be
fourteen years of age : and could not have
travelled much in Germany or elsewhere :
while the expression ' in his younger days '
would infer that the discovery was not made
until he had attained middle age at least."
Grainge accordingly dates Captain
(or Sir) William Slingsby's discovery
to 1596 or later, the origin of the
expression " near the close of the i6th
Century " of the recognised history.
In the first place Dr. Short is in-
accurate in that Deane states it was
discovered " 55 " years ago, and not
" 50." In the second place, the only
authority whom Grainge could rely
upon was Deane, either directly or
indirectly, and Deane could not have
made the discoverer to be a boy of nine
1 Grainge, W., " Memoir of the Life of Sir Wm.
Slingsby." 1862. Page 16.
42 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
years of age (not fourteen) for he must
have known Sir Wilham Shngsby, a
contemporary. Finally, Grainge only
consulted the summary of " Spada-
crene Anglica " and not the actual
work, and it is to be noted that Deane
in Chapter 6 says the first discoverer
" so far forth as I can learn." These
words are not in the summ.ary, but
they show that Deane had given care to
his work, and if Sir William Slingsby
had been the discoverer, Deane could
have obtained his information at first
hand, and would have given Sir William
Slingsby as his authority.
Grainge was an eminent and careful
historian, and he has written a number
of valuable works. He had the acu-
men to see that Sir William Slingsby
could not possibly have been the
discoverer in 1571, and it is fairly
certain that if he had had access to
Deane's work, he would have rectified
the error as regards Sir William, in-
stead of questioning the accuracy of
Deane's statement.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 43
Little has been added to the account
of Mr. WilHam Shngsby as given by
Deane, but it has been shown at any-
rate that the facts of his life fit in
perfectly with that account.
The medicinal qualities of the Tue-
whit Well having been discovered by
Mr. William Slingsby in or about the
year 1571, this gentleman did " drink
the water every yeare after all his life
time " and averred that " it was much
better, and did excell the tart foun-
taines beyond the seas." Much pains
were taken to bring the waters into
notoriety in the interests of humanity,
and by reason of a pardonable national
pride that the country could boast of
a health resort in every way compar-
able with the famous German health
resort of Spa. Chief among these
early advocates of this home fountain
was Dr. Timothy Bright, who is respon-
sible for naming the well the '' English
Spa," which name was apparently
adopted by the gentry partaking of the
water, whereas the common folk still
44 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
cling to the ancient name of Tuewhit
Well.
Timothy Bright has had a varied
literary history. For about three cen-
turies he was almost entirely forgotten,
and some of his works even ascribed
to purely imaginary authors. In
recent years full justice has been done
to his name as the " father of short-
hand " following the publication by J.
H. Ford in 1888 of the tercentenary
edition of his work entitled " Charac-
terie," and since that year there
has been much written of him. The
curious may therefore consult the
works mentioned in the footnote/ but
it will suffice for my purpose to give a
brief sketch of his life, not as the
1 " Athenae Oxoniensis," ed. by P. Bliss, 1815,
vol. 2, 174, footnote by Rev. Joseph Hunter.
Dictionary of Nat. Biography, 1886, vol. VI. " Dr.
Timothy Bright, Some Troubles of an Elizabethan
Rector," by Rev. H. Armstrong Hall, 1905, in
vol. XV ; and " The History of the Parish of
Barwick in Elmet," by F. S. Colman, M.A., Rector,
1908, in vol. xvii of the PubUcations of the Thoresby
Society. " William Shakespeare and Timothy Bright,"
by M. Levy, 19 10. " Timothe Bright, Doctor of
Physicke, A Memoir of the Father of Shorthand,"
191 1, by W. J. Carlton. His Will is published in
" Yorkshire Archaeological Journal," 1902, vol. 17.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 45
" father of shorthand," but as one of
the fathers of Harrogate.
Timothy Bright was born in Cam-
bridge in the year 155 1, matriculated
in Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1565,
and took his B.A. in 1567-8. He then
went to Paris to study medicine, and
in 1572 narrowly escaped the Massacre
at Paris on St. Bartholomew's Eve b}^
taking shelter at the house of Sir
Francis Walsingham, the English
ambassador. Returning to England
he graduated M.B. in 1574 and M.D.
in 1579. I^ 15S4 he was well launched
on his medical career, for he was the
physician at St. Bartholomew's Hos-
pital. By this time he had achieved
some reputation as a writer and had
obtained the friendship of the powerful
Cecil Lord Burghley, Sir Francis Wal-
singham and Sir Philip Sidney, which
probably explains how his now famous
work '' Characterie " was in 1588 dedi-
cated to Queen Elizabeth. His con-
nection with these powerful personages
led to a change in his profession and
46 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
incidentally to his connection with
Harrogate, for on July 5th, 1591, the
Queen presented him to the Rectory of
Methley in Yorkshire, and on the 30th
of Dec, 1594, also to the Rectory of
Barwick in Elmet in the same county.
He held both these livings till his
death, which took place in 1615. By
his Will he left his body " to be buried
when and where it shall please God."
He was no mean linguist for he be-
queathed his Hebrew Bible and a
Syriac Testament as well as Greek,
Latin and Italian works to his brother.
His books of Phisick and Philosophic
he bequeathed to his sonne Titus
Bright, M.D. He was fond of music
and possessed the standard work on
harmony by Joseph Zarlino. This he
left, along with some instruments of
music, a Theorbo and an Irish harp,
" which I most usuallye played upon "
to his brother.
In spite of the fact that he took holy
orders, it is evident from " Spadacrene
Anglica " that he was held in high
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 47
esteem as a physician (albeit non-
practising) by his contemporaries in
Yorkshire, and his travel abroad in
Germany well fitted him for the post
of advocate, which from humane and
patriotic motives he assumed on
behalf of the Enghsh Spa.
Deane states that Bright first gave
the name of English Spaw " about
thirty years since, or more," that is, in
1596 or earlier. This would seem to
indicate that Bright 's association with
Harrogate began shortly after he was
presented to the Rectory of Barwick
in Elmet in 1594.
Dr. Bright was a prolific writer and
the names of his works are given in a
footnote.^ Some of his books passed
* " A Treatise : wherein is declared the sufficiencie of
English Medicines for the cure of all diseases cured
wth medicine," T. B. 1580.
" Hygieina, id est de sanitate tuenda, Medicinae
Pars prima." 1581.
" Medicinae Therapeutical pars : de dyscrasia cor-
poris humani." 1583.
" Therapeutica, hoc est de sanitate restituenda.
Medicinal Pars altera."
" In Physimam G. A. Scribonii Animadversiones."
15S4.
" A Treatise of Melancholie. Contammg the causes
thereof, & reasons of the strr.nge effects it worketh
48 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
through several editions. Burton's
"Anatomy of Melancholy" is said to
have been suggested by his " Treatise
of Melancholy," and Shakespere was
evidently acquainted with his book,
'* Characterie, an Arte of shorte, swifte
and secrete Writing by Character."
" This is not my writing,
Though, I confess, much like the character "
Twelfth Night. Act v, Sc. i.
" All my engagements I will construe to thee.
All the characterie of my sad brows."
Julius Caesar. Act ii, Sc. i.
Hargrove appears also to be the
earliest to assert that Bright was the
first writer on Harrogate. In his
" History of Knaresborough " it is
merely stated '' soon after its discovery
Dr. Bright wrote on its virtues and
in our mindes and bodies, with tlie phisicke, cure, and
spirituall consolation for such as have therto adjo3med
an afflicted conscience, etc." 15S6.
" Characterie, an Arte of shorte, swifte and secrete
Writing by Character. Invented by Timothe Bright,
Doctor of Physike." 1588.
" An Abi-idgement of the Book of Acts and Monu-
mentes of the Church." 1589. Better known as
" Foxe's Book of the Martyrs."
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 49
uses."^ There is no authority for that
assertion in any of the works of Dr.
Bright mentioned in the footnote, and
the only evidence in support of Har-
grove is that given by Wheater,' who
writes : —
" Dr. Bright was first to rash into description
and he acquits himself with true EUzabethan
flavour. He observes regarding the water
that ' It occasions the retention of nothing
that should be evacuated and by relaxation
evacuates nothing that should be retained.
It dries nothing but what's too moist and
flaccid, and heats nothing but what's too cold,
and e contra : that though no doubt there are
some accidents and objections to the contrary,
it makes the lean fat, the fat lean, cures the
choHc and the melancholy, and the vapours :
and that it cures all aches speedily and cheereth
the heart.' Such a recommendation," &c.
This quotation, which is apparently
the only evidence in support of
Hargrove's assertion that Bright wrote
the first account of the English Spa, is
not taken from Bright 's writings at all,
but from Dr. Short's summary of
^ E. Hargrove. " The History of Knaresbrough."
2nd ed., 1775, page 45.
*W. Wheatear, "A Guide to and History of
Harrogate," 1890, page 58.
4
50 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
" The Yorkshire Spaw." " The York-
shire Spaw " was a treatise written by
Dr. John French in 1652, and so far
therefore from being written by Dr.
Bright, was actually written thirty-
seven years after Bright 's death.
It is perhaps only fair to the memory
of both Hargrove and Wheater to
state that neither of them would have
fallen into this error if they had had
the privilege of reading Deane's dedica-
tion to " Spadacrene Anglica," in which
he states that Dr. Bright intended to
write an account " in case hee had
longer lived." No edition after the
original edition contains this dedica-
tion, for, as will be shown later, this
very important part of Deane's work
was omitted by John Taylor in the
second edition and was not restored
in any of the later. Moreover it is
quite clear from the dedication of
Taylor's edition, in 1649 that copies
of the original edition were even then
unobtainable, owing probably to the
commotions which had accompanied
the civil war.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 51
I may here therefore emphasise the
good service that has been done to
restore the true history of the medi-
cinal waters of Harrogate, by the
reprinting of the original edition of
" Spadacrene AngHca " by my friend
Dr. Rutherford.
Before passing to the Bibhography
of " Spadacrene AngHca," a brief
mention must be made of Michael
Stanhope, Esquire, whose two books
did much to add to the celebrity of
the EngUsh Spa, and were afterwards
associated with the later editions of
" Spadacrene Angiica." His first work
was published towards the end of 1626,
and is entitled,
" Newcs out of Yorkshire, or an account of a
journey, in the tnie discovery of a sovereigne
Mineral!, Medicinal Water in the West-Riding
of Yorkeshire, neere an Ancient Towne called
Knaresbrough, not inferior to the Spa in Ger-
many. Also a taste of Other Minerall Waters
of severall natures adjoyning " By M. S.
Ecclest. 38. 4. The Lord hath created Medicines
out of the Earth : he that is wise will not
despise them.
A large extract has already been
52 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
given from this book, which was dedi-
cated *' To the Right Honourable, the
Vertuous, and Rehgious Lady, the
Lady Katherine Stanhope, wife to the
Lord Phihp Stanhope, Baron of Shel-
ford."
Stanhope's other work was entitled,
"' Cures without Care, or, a summons to all
who finde little or no help by the use of ordinary
physick to repaire to the Northerne Spa.
Wherein by many Presidents of a few late yeares,
it is evidenced to the world, that infirmities in
their own nature desperate and of long conti-
nance have received perfect recovery in the
west Riding of Yorkshire. Also a description
of the said water, and of other rare and usefull
springs adjoyning, the nature and efficacie of
the Mineralls contained in them, with other
not impertinent notes. Faithfully collected
for the publique good by M. St."
Tibul. " felix quicunque dolore
alterius disces posse carere tuo,"
London, 1632.
Stanhope dedicated this work " To
The Right Honourable, Thomas Lord
Wentworth, etc., Lord President of
his Majesties Council established in the
North." Lord Wentworth is better
known as the Earl of Strafford, and was
beheaded in 1642. In it is contained a
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 53
catalogue of persons who have received
either benefit or cure by the waters.
An abridgement of the two works of
Stanhope was made by John Taylor
and published in 1649 under the title
" Spadacrene Anglica . . . Treatise of
the learned Dr. Deane and the sedulous
observations of the ingenious Michael
Stanhope, Esquire." The ingenious
Michael Stanhope, Esquire, also
appears in the 1654 edition, but in that
published in 1736, Stanhope appears
as Dr. Stanhope. Short^ seems to have
been the first to make Stanhope a
member of the medical profession.
His opinion was soon adopted by
others, and has apparently never been
questioned. After a perusal of " Newes
out of Yorkshire " and " Cures without
Care," it is difficult to understand how
Short arrived at his conclusion, for the
internal evidence is entirely opposed
to it. Even in the extract from
" Newes out of Yorkshire " already
* Thomas Short, M.D., " History of Mineral Water,"
1734, page 243.
54 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
quoted, it is obvious that Stanhope
dissociates himself from the physicians
with the part}^ for he writes, " then
the physitians began to try their
experiments," " three other physitians
of allowable knowledge," and he refers
to Deane as " one who is far from the
straine of many of his profession."
This extract was selected for an
entirely different purpose, yet it is
clearly not the language of a fellow-
physician in practice in York. Short
himself partially recognizes this. He
only summarized " Cures without
Care," and he justly remarks of the
cures therein related that *' some
whereof are perhaps the greatest and
most remarkable in the Authentic
Records of Physic down from Hippo-
crates to this da}'." Short writes
fully a century after " Cures without
Care " was published, whereas Taylor
was a Apothecary in York and a con-
temporary of both Deane and Stanhope
there, and is accordingly the best
authority on the status of Stanhope.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
55
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56 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
A due to the identity of Stanhope
offers itself in the dedication of " Newes
out of Yorkshire " to Lady Katherine
Stanhope, wife to the Lord PhiHp
Stanhope, afterwards the Earl of
Chesterfield. An outline of the pedi-
gree of the Stanhope family was
obtained from the College of Arms and
is here partly reproduced to show the
relationship of Stanhope to Lady
Katherine Stanhope.
A Michael Stanhope entered Christ's
College, Cambridge, in 1597-8, and
Gray's Inn in 1593-4, but there is no
evidence to identify him with Michael
Stanhope the second son of Sir Edward
Stanhope, and the author of " Newes
out of Yorkshire " and " Cures without
Care." It may be mentioned that in
the latter book. Stanhope discovers
and describes the well at present
known as John's well.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 57
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF " SPADACRENE
ANGLICA."
1626.
First Edition.
1649.
" Spadacrene Anglica," the English Spaw, or
The Glory of Knaresborough. Springing from
Severall famous Fountaines there adjacent, called
the Vitrioll, Sulphurous, and dropping Wells :
and also other Minerall Waters. Their nature.
Physical use. Situation and many admirable Cures
being exactly exprest in the subsequent Treatise
of the learned Dr. Dean and the sedulous observa-
tions of the ingenious Michael Stanhope, Esquire.
Wherein it is proved by Reason and Experience,
that the Vitrioline Fountain is equall (and not
inferior) to the Germaine Spaw. "Ap«T[r]ov fxey v^wp.
PubUshed (with other additions) by John Taylor,
Apothecary in York, and there printed by Tho :
Broad, etc., 1649.
The important and felicitous letter of dedica-
tion in the first edition is discarded, and one of
Taylor's own composition, of a very different
character is substituted for it. In it occurs the
foIlo^ving, which is of bibliographical interest :
" The importunate desire of my friends has forced
me to reprint this httle Treatise of Dr. Dean's
Spadacrene AngUca, which the vacillation of
these distracted and ruinous times had almost lost
and obliterated. To this of Dr. Dean's I have
added the Observations of Michael Stanhope,
Esquire, which I have excerpted forth of his two
books of the Spaw."
1654.
" Spadacrene Anglica," etc., York, printed
by Tho : Broad, etc., 1654. The title is the same
58 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
as the 1649 reprint, except for the fact that
Taylor's name does not appear on it. His dedi-
cation is also omitted.
1734-
Thomas Short, M.D., " The Natural, Experi-
mental and Medicinal History of Mineral Waters."
In this volume, there are summaries of Deane's
" Spadacrene Anglica " : Stanhope's " Cures with-
out Care " : and French's " The Yorkshire
Spaw," etc.
1736-
" Spadacrene Anglica, or The EngUsh Spaw."
Being An Account of the Situation, Nature,
Physical Use, and admirable Cures, performed
by the Waters of Harrogate, and Parts adjacent.
By the late learned and eminent Physician, Dr.
Dean of York, and also the Observations of the
ingenious Dr. Stanhope. Wherein it is proved by
Reason and Experience the vitrioline Fountain
is equal to the German Spaw. To which are
added Some Observations (Collected from modern
Authors) of the Nature, Vertues and Manner of
Using the Sweet and Sulphur Waters at Harrogate,
Leeds, etc., 1736.
1921.
The present edition, reprinted from the 1626
edition.
TutvyHiT weci, THE evfruSH ^PAw fOoiN/T/>iw ijr
Spad
adacrencAnglica,
OR,
THE ENGLISH
SPAVVFOVNTAINE.
Being
A BRIEFE TREATISE
of the acidcj or tart Fountainc in the
Foreft o[ IQiareshoroH^y in the Weft-
Riding ofTorkJhirf.
As alfo a Relation of other medicinail
Waters in the (aid Foreft.
BY
Edmund T>eane, D^ in Phyficke ^ Oxon.
dwelling in the City of Y o r
KE.
LONDON,
Printed for loh» Grifmaisd : and are to be fold by Richard
Ffijer, nccrc the Minftcr gate in Tfirh,
16 2 6,
i^jyfecfecSfee^fecJfecfJfecSfej^
TO
THE PHYSITIANS
OF YORKE.
HOUGH it was
w.y fortune first
of all to set a
new edge on this
husinesse ; yet my
journeyes to this
Fountaine have
not been made
iHthout your good
companies and association, nor the
severall tryals had there, and at home,
performed without your worthy helpes
and assistance ; nor this little Treatise
begun without your instigations and
incitements. Therefore I find none so
fit and meet to patronize it, as your
64 THE EPISTLE
selves : being able out of your owne
knowledge and observation to defend it
against all malicious detractions. To
extoll it above the Germaine Spaw, may
be thought in me either indiscretion, or
too much partiality ; but why I may
?wt parallele them (being in natures
and qualities so agreeable) nor I, nor
you (I suppose) know any indticing,
much lesse perswading argiiment.
Wherefore being thus confident, I thought
it no part of our duties, either to God,
ottr King, or Country, to conceale so
great a benefit, as may thereby arise and
accrue not onely unto this whole King-
dome and his Majesties loving subjects,
but also in time (after further notice
taken of it) to other foraigne nations
and countries, who may perhaps with
more benefit, lesse hazard and danger
of their lives, spoiling and robbing,
better partake of this our English Spaw
Fountaine, then of those in Germanie.
It were to be wished, that those two
famous Physitians, Dr. Hunton and
Dr. Bright had becne yet living, to
THE EPISTLE 65
have given testimony of the great good
hopes and expectation they conceived
of it. The former of which did often-
times request me to publish it to the
world : and the other was resolved (in
case hee had longer lived) to have done
it himselfe. So carefull were they both
to promote their countries good, and
studious to procure the health of their
Countrimen.
I am as brief e and plaine, as possibly
I may, to the end the Reader may not be
ivearied, nor the patient deluded ; and.
if for these causes I may seem to bee
censured, yet I am well assured, that
to your selves brevity and perspicuity
cannot, but bee acceptable. So wishing
you all happinesse, I shall ever rest
and remaine
From my house in Yorke,
this 20th. of April,
1626.
Your assured friend,
Edm ; Deane.
idfe cyfe afc c^fe c3fe £^fe £vfe fi3fe
The English Spaw.
CHAP. I.
Of the situation of the Towne of
Knaresborow.
NARESBRUGH
(commonly called
Knaresborow) is
a very ancient
Market towne in
the West-Riding
of Yorkeshire,
distant 14 miles
from the City of
Yorke ; where the Pole is elevated
54 degrees, and 20 odde minutes.
On the South-west part thereof is
that faire, and goodly Fort, so much
renowned, both .for the pleasant
68 THE ENGLISH SPAW
situation, and remarkable strength,
knowne by the name of Knareshorow
Castle, seated on a most ragged and
rough Rock ; whence (as learned Mr.
Camden saith) it is so named.
Both the Castle and the Towne are
fenced on the South and West parts
with the River Nid : which is beauti-
fied here with two faire Bridges of
stone, which lead from the Towne into
the Forest adjoyning, as also unto a
large empaled Park of his Majesties,
called Bilton-pafke, well stored with
fallow Deere : part whereof is bordered
with the said river.
The Towne it selfe standeth on a
hill, having almost on every side an
ascent to it ; and about it are divers
fruit full valley es well replenished with
grasse, corne, and wood. The waters
there are wholesome and cleare ; the
ay re dry and pure. In brief e, there
is nothing wanting, that may fitly
serve for a good and commodious
habitation, and the content and enter-
tainment of strangers.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 69
Many things are very observable in
this place, which because they rather
do appertaine to the volumes of
Geographers, & Antiquaries, then to
the purpose intended in this little
treatise, are here omitted.
70 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. 2.
Of the several I earths, stones, and
mineralls found neere and about this place.
ALTHOUGH there are in sundry
places of this Kingdome as many,
or moe severall kinds, and sorts of
earths quarreyes of stone, minerals,
and mines of mettalls, then in any
other Realme whatsoever ; notwith-
standing no one place hath beene
observed to have them either in such
plentie, or variety in so small a
distance, as this. For here is found
not onely white and yellow marie,
plaister, oker, rudd, or rubricke, free-
stone, an hard greet-stone, a soft
reddish stone, iron-stone, brimstone,
vitreall, nitre, allum, lead, copper,
(and without doubt diverse mixtures
of these) but also many other mineralls
might (perhaps) be found out by the
THE ENGLISH SPAW 71
diligent search and skilfull industrie of
those, who would take paines to
labour a little herein.
All which do manifestly demonstrate,
that nature hath stored this little
territorie with a greater diversitie of
hidden benefits, then great and
spacious Countries otherwise abound-
ing in outward native commodities,
and that the fountaines, or springs of
water hereabouts cannot otherwise
then participate of their severall
natures, and properties.
72 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. 3.
Of the fountaines, of pure and simple
waters neere, and about the Towne.
AS generally most parts of the
West Riding of Yorkeshire (es-
pecially the hilly and more mountain-
eous places thereof) are stored with
fountaines and springs of cleare,
limpide, and pure simple waters ; so
likewise the territorie here abouts is
not without plenty of them. Two
whereof have gotten and purchased
that reputation, as to be saincted :
The one called by the name of Saint
Magnus, or Mugnus-Well : th' other,
that of Saint Roberts.
These, formerly for a yeere, or two,
have beene in great request in these
parts amongst the common sort, m.uch
sought unto by many, and great
concourse of people have daily gathered
THE ENGLISH SPAW 73
and flocked to them both neere, and a
farre off, as is most commonly seene,
when any new thing is first found out.
Fama enim grescit eundo, even unto
incredible wonders and miracles, or
rather fictions, and lyes. All which
commeth to passe as wee may well
suppose, through our overmuch Eng-
lish credulity, or (as I may better say)
rather superstition. For to any such
like Well, will swarme at first both
yong and old (especialty the female
sexe, as ever more apt to bee deluded)
halt, lame, blind, deafe, dumbe, yea,
almost all, and that for all manner of
maladies and diseases, both inward
and outward.
But for as much, as these are springs
of pure, and simple waters meerety,
without any mixture at all of minerals
to make them become medicinable, it
is verily thought, that the many &
severall cures, which have bin attrib-
uted unto them in those times, when
they were so frequented, were rather
fained, and imaginary, then true, and
74 THE ENGLISH SPAW
reall ; and that those, who then
visited them, were desirous (either to
uphold, and maintaine the credit, and
reputation of their Saints, or else, to
avoyd the scorne and derision of their
owne delusion) to have others likewise
deceived.
Time hath quite worne all their
strength, and consumed all their ver-
tues ; so that nothing of worth now
remaines with them, saving onely their
bare names and titles : Sic magna sua
mole ruunt.
Wherefore to omit these, as scarce
worthy the mentioning ; those are
chiefly here to be described, which
doe participate of minerall vertues,
and faculties.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 75
CHAP. 4.
Of five fountaines neare unto the town,
which doe participate of minerall vertues.
OUT of the divers Fountaines
springing hereabouts, five are
worthy the observation of Physitians.
The first whereof is very neare unto
the river banke, over against the
Castle, called by the name of the
Dropping-well, for that it droppeth,
distilleth, and trickleth downe from
the hanging rocke above. The water
whereof hath a certaine quality or
property to turne any thing, that
lieth in it, into a stony substance in a
very short space.
Three of the others (being all of
them much of one, and the same
nature) are termed by the country
people thereabouts the Stinking-wels,
in regard they have an ill, and fetide
76 THE ENGLISH SPAW
smell, consisting most of Sulphure-vive,
or quicke brimstone. One of them, and
that which hath the greatest current,
or streame of water, is in Bilton park.
The other two are in the sayd
Forest ; one is neare unto the towne ;
the other is further off, almost two
miles from it, beyond a place called
Haregate head, in a bottome on the
right hand of it, as you goe, and
almost in the side of a little brooke.
The fift, and last (for v/hich I have
principally undertaken to write this
short Discourse) is an acide, or tart
fountaine in the said Forest, commonly
named bj;^ the vulgar sort, Tuewhit-
well, and the English Spaw, by those
of the better rank, in imitation of
those two most famous acide foun-
taines at the Spaw in Germany, to wit,
Sauvenir, and Pouhon : whereof the
first (being the prime one) is halfe a
league from the Spa, or Spaw village ;
the other is in the middle of the towne.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 77
CHAP. 5.
A more particular rscltall of the
first foure Wells.
T PURPOSE to speake somewhat
more in this place of the first
foure Springs mentioned in the former
Chapter, in regard the consideration of
them may perhaps give some hght to
those, who shall hereafter search fur-
ther into the secrets, which nature may
seeme to afford in the Country here-
abouts.
The first is the Dropping-well,
knowne almost to all, who have
travelled unto this place. The water
whereof distilleth and trickleth downe
from the hanging Rocke over it, not
onely dropping wise, but also falling in
many pretty little streames.
This water issueth at first out of the
earth, not farre from the said hanging
78 THE ENGLISH SPAW
rocke, and running a while in one
entire current, continueth so, till it
commeth almost to the brim of the
cragg ; where being opposed by a
damme (as it were artificiall) of cer-
taine spongy stones, is afterwards
divided into many smaller branches,
and falleth from on high in manner
aforesaid.
It is therefore very likely, that Mr.
Camden in person did not see this
Fountaine, but rather that hee had it
by relation from others ; or at least
wise (if he did see it) that hee did not
marke, and duly observe the originall
springing up of the water, when in his
Britannia he saith thus : The waters
thereof spring not up out of the veines
of the earth, &c.
Concerning the properties and quali-
ties thereof, I have nothing more to
write at this time (there being formerly
little tryall had of it) saving that
divers inhabitants thereabouts say,
and afhrme, that it hath beene found
to bee very effectuall in staying any
THE ENGLISH SPAW 79
flux of the body : which thing I easily
beleeve.
The other three are sulphureous
fountaines, and cast forth a stinking
smell a farre off, especially in the
winter season, and when the weather
is coldest. They are all noysome to
smell to, and cold to touch, without
any manifest, or actuall heat at all ;
by reason (as may most probably be
thought) their mynes, and veines of
brimstone, are not kindled under the
earth ; being (perhaps) hindred by
the mixture of salt therewith.
Those, who drinke of their waters,
relate, they verily thinke there is gun-
powder in them, and that now and
then they vomit after drinking thereof.
The waters, as they runne along the
earth, doe leave behind them on the
grasse and leaves a gray slimy sub-
stance, which being set on fire, hath
the right savour of common brimstone.
They are much haunted with Pigeons,
an argument of much salt in them ;
of which in the evaporation of the
80 THE ENGLISH SPAW
water by fire, wee found a good quan-
tity remaining in the bottome of the
vessell.
One thing further was worth obser-
vation ; that white mettall (as silver)
dipped into them, presently seemeth
to resemble copper : which we first
noted by putting a silver porrenger
into one of these ; unto which Sir
Francis Trapps did first bring us.
Which tincture these waters give by
reason of their sulphur.
Touching their vertues, and effects,
there may in generall the like proper-
ties be ascribed unto them, as are
attributed unto other sulphureous
Bathes actualty cold, participating also
of salt.
The vulgar sort drinke these waters
(as they say) to expell leefe, and fellon ;
yea, many, who are much troubled
with itches, scabs, morphewes, tetters,
ring-wormes, and the like, are soone
holpen, and cured by washing the
parts ill affected therewith. Which
thing they might much more con-
THE ENGLISH SPAW 81
veniently, and more commodiously
doe, if at that in Bilton parke were
framed 2 capacious Bathes, the one
cold, the other to be made hot, or
warme, by art, for certaine knowne
howers a day.
82 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. 6.
A more particular description of the flft,
or last fountaine, called the Ensflish
5paw.
HTHIS, being the principall subject
of this whole Treatise, is in the
said forest, about halfe a league, or a
mile and a halfe west from the towne ;
from whence there is almost a con-
tinuall rising to it, but nothing so
great, as the ascent is from the Spaw
village to the Sanvenir. This here
springeth out of a mountainous ground,
and almost at the height of the ascent,
at Haregate-head ; having a great
descent on both sides the ridge there-
of ; and the Country thereabouts
somewhat resembleth that at the Spaw
in Germany.
The first discoverer of it to have any
medicinall quality (so far forth as I
THE ENGLISH SPAW 83
can learn) was one Mr. William
Slingesby, a Gentleman of many good
parts, of an ancient, and worthy
Family neere thereby ; who having
travelled in his younger time, was
throughly acquainted with the taste,
use, and faculties of the two Spaw
fountaines.
In his latter time, about 55 yeeres
agoe it was his good fortune to
live for a little while at a grange
house very neare to this fountaine,
and afterwards in Bilton Parke all his
life long. Who drinking of this water,
found it in all things to agree with
those at the Spaw. Whereupon
(greatly rejoycing at so good and for-
tunate an accident) he made some
further triall and assay : That done,
he caused the fountaine to be well,
and artificially walled about, and
paved at the bottome (as it is now at
this day) with two faire stone flags,
with a fit hole in the side thereof, for
the free passage of the water through
a little guttered stone. It is open at
84 THE ENGLISH SPAW
the top, and walled somewhat higher,
then the earth, as well to keepe out
filth, as Cattle for comming and ap-
proaching to it. It is foure-square,
three foot wide, and the water within
is about three quarters of a yard deepe.
First we caused it to be laded
dry, as well to scoure it, as also
to see the rising up of the water,
which we found to spring up onely at
the bottome at the chinke or cranny,
betweene two stones, so left purposely
for the springing up of the water at
the bottome : Which as Pliny observ-
eth in his 31 booke of his Naturall
History and the third Chapter, is a
signe above all of the goodnesse of a
fountaine.
" And above all (saith he,) one
thing would bee observed, and seene
unto, that the source, which feedeth
it, spring and boyle up directly from
the bottome, and not issue forth at
the sides : which also is a maine point
that concerneth the perpetuity thereof,
and whereby wee may collect, that it
THE ENGLISH SPAW 85
will hold still, and be never drawne
drye."
The streame of water, which passeth
away by the hole in the side thereof, is
much one, and about the proportion of
the current of the Sauvenir.
The above named Gentleman did
drinke the water of this Fountaine
every yeare after all his life time, for
helping his infirmities, and maintaining
of his health, and would oftentimes
say and averre, that it was much
better, and did excell the tart foun-
taines beyond the seas, as being more
quicke and lively, and fuller of minerall
spirits ; effecting his operation more
speedily, and sooner passing through
the body.
Moreover Doctor Timothy Bright of
happy memory, a learned Physitian,
(while hee lived, my very kind friend,
and familiar acquaintance) first gave
the name of the English Spaw unto
this Fountaine about thirty yeares
since, or more. For he also formerly
had spent some time at the Spaw in
86 THE ENGLISH SPAW
Germany ; so that he was very able
to compare those with this of ours.
Nay, hee had futhermore so good an
opinion, and so high a conceit of this,
that hee did not onely direct, and
advise others to it, but himselfe also
(for most part) would use it in the
Sommer season.
Likewise Doctor Anthony Hunton
lately of Newarke upon Trent, a Physi-
tian of no lesse worth and happy-
memory, (to whom for his true love to
mee, and kind respect of mee, I was
very much beholden) would often ex-
postulate with mee at our meetings,
and with other Gentlemen of Yorke-
shire, his patients, how it came to
passe, that I, and the Physitians of
Yorke, did not by publike writing
make the fame and worth thereof
better knowne to the world ?
THE ENGLISH SPAW 87
CHAP. 7.
Of the difference of this Fountaine from
those at the 5paw, to wit, Sauvenir,
aad Pouhon.
T^HIS springeth almost at the top
of the ascent (as formerly hath
beene said) from a dry, and somewhat
sandy earth : The water whereof run-
ning South-East, is very cleare, pure,
full of life, and minerall exhalations.
We find it chiefly to consist of a
vitrioline nature and quality, with a
participation also of those other min-
erals, which are said to be in the
Sauvenir fountaine ; but in a more
perfect, and exquisite mixture and
temper (as wee deeme) and therefore
to be supposed better and nobler, then
it. The difference betweene them will
be found to be onely secundum majus
& minus, that is, according to more.
88 THE ENGLISH SPAW
or lesse, which maketh no difference
in kind, but in degrees. This par-
taketh in greater measure of the quaU-
ties, and lesser of the substances of the
minerals, then that doth ; and for that
cause it is of a more quicke and speedy
operation ; as also for the same reason,
his tenuity of body, and fulnesse of
minerall spirits therein contained, it
cannot be so farre transported from
its owne source, and spring, without
losse, and diminution of his strength,
and goodnesse. For being caried no
further, then to the towne it selfe
(though the glasse or vessell be closely
stopt) it becommeth somewhat weak-
er : if as farre as to Yorke, much more :
but if 20 or 30 miles further, it will
then bee found to be of small force, or
validity, as we have often observed.
Whereas contrariwise the water of
the lower fountaine at the Spaw, called
Pouhon, is frequently and usually car-
ied and conveyed into other Countries
farre off, and remote, as into France,
England, Scotland, Ireland, divers parts
THE ENGLISH SPAW 89
of Germany, and some parts of Italy ;
yea, and that of Sauvenir, (which is
the better fountaine, and whose water
cannot be caried so farre away, as the
other may) is oftentimes used nowa-
dayes at Paris, the chiefe City of
France.
But this of ours cannot be sent away
any whit so farre off without losse and
decay of his efficacy, and vertue ; so
ayrie, subtill, and piercing are its
spirits, and minerall exhalations, that
they soone passe, vanish, and fiye
away. Which thing wee have es-
teemed to be a principall good signe
of the worthy properties of this rare
Fountaine. So that this water, being
newly taken up at the Well, and pre-
sently after drunke, cannot otherwise,
but sooner passe by the H3^pochondries
and through the body, and cause a
speedier effect, then those in Germany
can. Whereby any one may easily
collect, and gather, that this getteth
his soveraign faculties better in its
passage by and through the variety of
90 THE ENGLISH SPAW
minerals, included in the earth (which
only afford unto it an halitious body)
then those doe.
If then wee bee desirous to have
this of ours become commodious either
for preserving of our healths, or for
altering any distemper, or curing any
infirmit}^ (for which it is proper and
availeable) it ought chiefly to bee taken
at the fountaine it selfe, before the
minerall spirits bee dissipated.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 91
CHAP. 8.
That Vitriol is here more predominant,
tlien any otiier minerall.
"YV^E have sufficiently beene satisfied
by experience and trialls, through
what minerals this water doth passe :
but to know in what proportion
they are exactly mixed therewith, it
is beyond humane invention to find
out ; nature having reserved this
secret to her selfe alone. Neverthe-
lesse it may very well be conjectured,
that as in the frame, and composition
of the most noble creature, Man (the
lesser world) there is a temper of the
foure elements rather ad justitiam (as
Philosophers say) then ad pondus ;
so nature in the mixture of these
minerals, hath likewise taken more of
some, and lesse of others, as shee
thought to be most fit, and expedient
92 THE ENGLISH SPAW
for the good and behoofe of mans
health, and the recovery and restitu-
tion of it decayed ; being indeed such
a worke, as no Art is able to imitate.
That Vitriolum (otherwise called
Chalcanthum) is here most predomi-
nant, there needs no other proofe,
then from the assay of the water it
selfe ; which both in the tart and inky
smack thereof, joyned with a piercing
and a pricking quality, and in the
savour (which is somewhat a little
vitrioline,) is altogether like unto the
ancient Spaw waters ; which according
to the consent of all those, who have
considered their naturall compositions,
doe most of all, and chiefly participate
of vitrioll.
Notwithstanding, for a more mani-
fest, and fuller tryall hereof, put as
much powder of galls, as will lye on
two-pence, or three-pence, into a
glasse full of this water newly taken up
at the fountaine, you shall see it by
and by turned into the right and per-
fect colour of Claret wine, that is fully
THE ENGLISH SPAW 93
ripe, cleare, and well fined, which may
easily deceive the eye of the skilfullest
Vintner.
This demonstration hath beene often
made, not without the admiration of
those, who first did see it. For the
same quantity of galles mingled with
so much common water, or any other
fountaine water thereabouts, will not
alter it any thing at all ; unlesse to
these you also adde Vitrioll, and then
the colour will appeare to be of a
blewish violet, somewhat inkish, not
reddish, as in the former, which hath
an exquisite and accurate conjunction
of other minerall exhalations, besides
the vitrioline. But this probation will
not hold, if so be you make triall with
the said water being caried farre from
the well ; by reason of the present
dissipation of his spirits.
94 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. 9.
Of the properties, and effects of Vitrloll,
according to ttie ancient and moderne
Writers.
'THE qualities of Vitrioll, according
to Dioscorides, Galen, jEHus,
Paiilus Mgineta, and Oribasius, are to
heate and dry, to bind, to resist putre-
faction, to give strength and vigour
to the interiour parts, to kill the flat
wormes of the belly, to remedy vene-
mous mushromes, to preserve flesh
over moyst from corruption, consum-
ing the moysture thereof by its heat,
and constipating by his astriction the
substance of it, and pressing forth the
serous humidity.
And according to Matthiolus in his
Commentaries upon Dioscorides, it is
very profitable against the plague and
pestilence, and the chymicall oyle
THE ENGLISH SPAW 95
thereof is very availeable (as himselfe
affirmeth to have sufficiently proved)
against the stone and stopping of
urine, and many other outward mala-
dies and diseases, [AnderncBus and
Gesner adde to these the Apoplexy)
all which, for avoyding of prolixity, I
doe here purposely omit.
Neither will I further trouble the
Reader with the recitall of divers and
sundry excellent remedies, and medi-
cines, found out and made of it in
these latter times, by the Spagyricke
Physitians, and others : In so much
that Joseph Quercetanus, one of those,
is verily of opinion, that out of this
one individuall minerall, well and ex-
quisitely prepared, there might be
made all manner of remedies and
medicines sufficient for the storing
and furnishing of a whole Apothecaries
shop.
But it will (perhaps) be objected by
some one or other in this manner : If
vitrioU, which as most doe hold, is
hote and dry in the third degree, or
96 THE ENGLISH SPAW
beginning of the fourth, nay, of a
causticke quahty, and nature (as
Discorides is of opinion) should here
be predominant, then the water of
this fountaine must needs bee of
great heat and acrimony ; and so
become not onely unprofitable, but
also very hurtfull for mans use to be
drunke, or inwardly taken.
To which objection (not to take any
advantage of the answer, which many
learned Physitians doe give, viz. that
vitrioll is not hot, but cold) I say :
First, that although all medicinal!
waters doe participate of those min-
eralls, by which they doe passe, yet
they have them but weakly (viribus
refractis) especially when in their pas-
sages they touch, and meet with
divers others minerals of opposite
tempers and natures.
Secondly I answer, that in all such
medicinall fountaines, as this, simple
water doth farre surpasse and exceed
in quantity, whatsoever is therewith
intermixed ; by whose coldnesse it
THE ENGLISH SPAW 97
commeth to passe, that the contrary
is scarce, or hardly perceived. For
example, take one proportion of any
boyling liquor to loo. or more, of the
same cold, and you will hardly find
in it any heat at all. Suppose then
vitrioll to be hot in the third degree, it
doth not therefore follow, that the
water, which hath his vertue chiefly
from it, should heat in the same
degree. This is plainly manifest not
onely in this fountaine, but also in all
others, which have an acide taste, being
indeed rather cold, then hot, for the
reasons above mentioned.
98 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. 10.
Of the effects, which this tountaiae
worketh, and produceth in those who
drinke of it.
-gXPERIENCE sheweth sufficiently,
besides reason, that this water
first, and in the beginning cooleth
such, as use it : But being continued
it heateth and dryeth ; and this for
the most part it doth in all, yet not
alwayes. For (as we shall more fully
declare afterwards) it effecteth cures
of opposite, and quite contrary natures,
by the second and third qualities,
wherewith it is endowed, curing dis-
eases both hot, cold, dry, and moist.
Those waters (saith Renodceus) which
are replenished with a vitrioline qual-
ity, as those at the Spaw, doe presently
heale, and (as it were) miraculously
cure diseases, which are without all
THE ENGLISH SPAW 99
hope of recovery ; having that notable
power, and faculty from vitrioll ; by
the vertue and efficacy whereof, they
passe through the meanders, turnings,
and windings of all parts of the whole
body. Whatsoever is hurtfull, or en-
dammageth it, that they sweepe and
carie away : what is profitable and
commodious, the}^ touch not, nor
hurt ; that, which is flaccid, and
loose, they bind and fasten: that,
which is fastened, and strictly tyed,
they loose : what is too grosse and
thicke, they incide, dissolve, attenuate,
and expell.
More particular^, the water of this
fountaine hath an incisive and abster-
sive faculty to cut, and loosen the
viscous and clammy humours of the
body, and to make meable the grosse :
as also by its piercing and penetrating
pov/er, subtilty of parts, and by his
deterging and desiccative qualities to
open all the obstructions, or oppilations
of the mesentery (from whence the
seeds of most diseases doe arise and
100 THE ENGLISH SPAW
spring) liver, splen, kidneis, and other
interiour parts, and (which is more to
be noted and observed) to coole and
contemperate their unnaturall heat,
helping, and removing also all the
grief es and infirmities depending
thereupon.
Besides all this, it comforteth the
stomacke by the astriction it hath
from other minerals, especially iron,
so that (without doubt) of a thousand,
who shall use it discreetly and with
good advice (their bodies first being
well and orderly prepared by some
learned and skilfull Physitian, accord-
ing to the states thereof, and as their
infirmities shall require) there will
scarcely be any one found who shall
not receive great profit thereby.
Moreover, it clenseth, and purifieth
the whole masse of blood contained in
the veynes, by purging it from the
seresity peccant, and from cholericke,
phlegmaticke, and melancholike hu-
mours ; and that principally by urine,
which passeth through the body very
THE ENGLISH SPAW 101
cleare, and in great quantity, leaving
behind it the minerall forces, and
vertues.
Their stooles, who drinke of it, are
commonly of a blackish, or dark greene
colour, partly because it emptieth the
liver and splen from adult humours,
and melancholy, or the sediment of
blood : but more especially, because
the mineralls intermixed doe produce
and give such a tincture.
102 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. II.
In what diseases the water of this Foun-
taine is most useful! and beneficiall.
/~)VER and besides the peculiar and
specificall faculties, which this
fountaine hath, it sheweth divers and
sundry other manifest effects and
qualities in evacuating the noxious
humours of the body, for most part
by urine especiall}/ when there is
an}' obstruction about the kidneyes,
ureters and bladder : Or by urine and
stoole both, if the mesentery, liver, or
splen, chance to bee obstructed. But,
if the affect or griefe be in the matrix
or womb, then it clenseth that way
according to the accustomed and usuall
manner of women.
In melancholike people it purgeth
by provoking the hsemorrhoides, and
THE ENGLISH SPAW 103
in cholericke by siege, or stoole. If
it causeth either vomit or sweat, it is
very seldome and rare.
See here a most admirable worke
guided by the omnipotency and wise-
dom of the Almighty, that a naturall,
cleare, and pure water, should produce
so many and severall effects and
operations, being all of them in a
manner contrary one to another, which
few medicines composed by art can
easily performe without hurt and
damage to the party. Wherefore
being drunke with those cautions and
circumstances necessarily required
thereunto, it is to be preferred before
many other remedies, as not onely
procuring these evacuations ; but also
(which is more to be noted) staying
them, when they grow to any excesse.
For seeing that here are minerals con-
tained both hot, cold, dry, aperitive,
astringent, ccc. there is none so simple
but must needs thinke and grant, that
it cannot otherwise bee but good and
wholesome in grievances, and diseases,
104 THE ENGLISH SPAW
which in their owne natures are
opposite.
But I may instance in some few,
for which it is good and profitable,
and therein observe some order and
methode ; It dryeth the over moist
braine, and helpeth the evils proceeding
therefrom, as rhumes, catarrhs, palsies,
cramps, &c.
It is also good and availeable
against inveterate headaches, migrims,
turnings, and swimmings of the head
and braine, dizzinesse, epilepsie, or
falling sicknesse, and the like cold
and moist diseases of the head.
It cheereth and reviveth the spirits,
strengtheneth the stomacke, causeth
a good and quicke appetite, and
furthereth digestion.
It helpeth the blacke and yellow
Jaundisse, and the evill, which is
accompanied with strange feare and
excessive sadnesse without any evident
occasion, or necessary cause, called
Melancholia Hypochondriaca. Like-
wise the cachexy, or evill habit of the
THE ENGLISH SPAW 105
body, and the dropsie in the beginning
thereof, before it be too farre gone.
For besides that it openeth obstruc-
tions, it expelleth the redundant water
contained in the belly, and contem-
perateth the unnaturall heat of the
liver.
It cooleth the kidneyes or reynes,
and driveth forth sand, gravell, and
stones out of them, and also hindreth
the encrease or breeding of any new,
by the concretion, and saudering of
gravell, bred of a viscous and clammy
humour, or substance. The same it
performeth to the bladder, for which
it is also very beneficiall, if it chance
to have any evill disposition either in
the cavity thereof, or in the necke of
it, and shutting muscle called Sphincter,
whereby the whole part or member is
let and hindred in his office and
function.
Moreover, if there chance to be
any ulcer in the parts last specified,
or any sore, or fistula in perinaeo
through an impostume ill cured, this
106 THE ENGLISH SPAW
water is a good remedy for it, in regard
of its clensing, cicatrizing and con-
stringing power, and vertue ; and
for that cause it is very proper and
commodious for the acrimony and
sharpnesse of urine, and against the
stopping and suppression of urine,
difficulty of making water, and the
strangury.
Although it is very availeable
against the stone in the kidneyes,
and against the breeding, and increase
of any new there ; yea, and against
little ones, that are loose in the
bladder ; yet notwithstanding it will
afford little or small benefit to those,
in whom it is growne to bee very great
and big in the bladder : Because
nothing will then serve to breake it,
as Brassavolus saith, but a Smiths
anvile and hammar. Neverthelesse,
if in this case incision be used, it will
be very commodious both for mundi-
fying and consolidating the wound,
made for the extraction of it.
It shall not bee needfull to speake
THE ENGLISH SPAW 107
much of the profit, which will ensue
by the fit administration of it in
the inveterat venereous Gonorrhaea,
causing it to cease and stay totally,
and correcting the distemper, and the
evill ulcerous disposition of the seed
vessels, & the vicine parts.
There are very few infirmities prop-
erly incident to women, which this
water may not seeme to respect much.
The use whereof, after the advice and
councell had of the learned Physitian,
for the well and orderly preparing
their bodies, is singular good against
the greene sicknesse, and also very
commodious and behoovefull to pro-
cure their monthly evacuations, as
also to stay their over much flowing ;
as well to correct, as to stay their
white floods ; as well to dry the wombe
being too moist, as to heat it being
too cold, through which causes and
distempers conception (for the most
part) is let and hindered in cold
Northerne Countries, as England, and
the like. For by the helpe of it these
108 THE ENGLISH SPAW
distempers are changed and altered,
the superfluous humidities and mucosi-
ties are taken away, the part is
corroborated, and the retentive vertue
is strengthned.
This hath beene so much, and so
often observed at the ancient Spaw,
that it cannot otherwise, but bee also
verified at this in aftertimes, when it
shall bee frequented (as those have
beene) with the company of Ladyes,
and Gentlewomen : Divers whereof,
having beene formerly barren for the
space of ten, twelve yeares, or moe,
and drinking of those waters for
curing and helping some other infirm-
ities, then for want of fruitfulnesse,
have shortly conceived after their
returne home to their husbands, beyond
their hopes and expectations.
Besides all this, it is good for these
women, who, though otherwise apt
enough to conceive, yet by reason of
the too much lubricity of their wombes,
are prone to miscarr}^ and abort, if
before conception they shall use it
THE ENGLISH SPAW 109
with those cautions and directions
requisite.
Also it respecteth very much the
hard scirrhous and cancarous tumours,
and the grievous soares, and danger-
ous ulcers of the matrix. All these
excellent helpes and many moe it
performeth to women with more speedy
successe, if it be also received by in-
jection. But here by the way, all
such women, who are with child, are
to be admonished, that they forbeare
to use it during that time.
In children it killeth and expelleth
the wormes of the guts and belly, and
letteth and hindreth the breeding and
new encrease of any moe.
I will here forbeare to write any
thing of the benefits which it affordeth
against old and inveterate itches,
morphewes, leprosies, &c. in regard
the other three sulphurous fountaines,
before mentioned, doe more properly
respect such like grievances. Neither
will I now spend any more time in
shewing what vertues it hath in the
110 THE ENGLISH SPAW
cure of the Indian, commonly called
the French, or rather Spanish disease :
because experience hath found out a
more certaine and sure remedy against
it.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 111
CHAP. 12.
Of the necessity of preparing the body
before the use of this water.
IT is not in most things the bare
and naked knowledge or contem-
plation of them, that makes them
profitable to us ; but rather their
right use, and oppertune and fit
administration. Medicines are not
said to be Deorum manus, that is,
the hands of the Gods, (as Herophilus
calleth them) or Deorum dona ; that
is, the gifts of the Gods (as Hippocrates
beleeved) till they be fitly applyed
and seasonably administered by the
counsell and advice of the learned
and skilfull Physitian, according to the
true rules, and method of Art.
Temporibus medicina valet, data tempore prosunt,
Et data non apto tempore vina nocent.
112 THE ENGLISH SPAW
That is,
Medicines availe in their due times.
And profit is got by drinking wines
In timely sort ; but in all reason
They doe offend, dninke out of season.
Therefore to know th' originall
mineralls, faculties, and vertues of
this worthy acide fountaine, will bee
to no end, or to small purpose for
them, who understand not the right
and true use, nor the fit and orderly
administration of it. For not only
Physicke or medicines, but also meats,
and drinks taken disorderly, out of due
time and without measure, bringeth
oftentimes detriment to the partie ;
who otherwise might receive comfort
and strength thereby : So likewise
this water, if it be not drunke at a
convenient time and season, in due
fashion and proportion, yea, and that
after preparatives and requisite purg-
ing and evacuation of the body, may
easily hurt those, whose infirmities
otherwise it doth principally respect.
For medicines ought not to be taken
THE ENGLISH SPAW 113
rashly, and unadvisably, as most doe
hand over head without any con-
sideiation of time, place, and other
circumstances ; as that ignorant man
did, who getting the recipt of that
medicine, wherewith formerly he had
been cured, made triall of it againe
long after for the same infirmity
without any helpe or good at all,
whereat greatly marvailing, received
this answer fro his Physitian : I
confesse (said hee) it was the selfe
same medicine, but because I did not
give it, therefore it did you no good.
To the end therefore, that no
occasion may hereafter be either given,
or taken by the misgovernment, or
overrashnesse of any in using it to
calumniate and traduce the worth,
and goodnesse of this fountaine, I
will briefly here shew, what course is
chiefly to be followed and observed by
those who shall stand in need of it.
First then, because very few men
are thoroughly and sufficiently in-
formed concerning the natures, and
8
114 THE ENGLISH SPAW
causes of their grievances, it will be
necessary that every one shold apply
himselfe to some one, or other, who
either out of his judgement, or experi-
ence, or both, may truely be able to
give him counsell and good advice
concerning the conveniency of this
fountaine. And if he shall be avised
to use it, then let the party (in the
feare of God) addresse himselfe for
his way to it, against the fit season of
it, without making any long and
tedious dales journeys, which cause
lassitude, and wearinesse.
Then, being come to the place, he
ought after a dayes rest, or two, to
have his body wel prepared, & gently
clensed with easie lenitives, or purga-
tives, both fit, and appropriate, as
well to the habite and constitution
thereof, as also for the disease it selfe,
and as occasion shall require, according
to the rule of method, which teacheth
that universall or generall remedies
ought ever to precede and goe before
particulars. Now what these are in
THE ENGLISH SPAW 115
speciall, to lit every ones case in
particular, it is impossible for me here,
or any else to define precisely. Ars
non versatur circa individua. We may
see it true in mechanicall trades. No
one shoomaker can fit all by one Last ;
nor any one taylor can suite all by
one, and the selfe same measure.
Yet in regard it may perhaps bee
expected that something should be
said herein, I say, that in the beginning
(if occasion serve) some easie Clyster
may very fitly bee given, as well for
emptying the lower intestines from
their usuall excrements, as for carying
away and clensing the mucose slimes
contained therein. After that, it will
be convenient to prepare the body by
some Julep or Apozeme, or to give
some lenitive medicine to free the
first region of the body from excre-
ments. For otherwise the water might
peradventure convey some part of
them, or other peccat matter, which
it findeth in his passage either into
the bladder, or to some other weake,
116 THE ENGLISH SPAW
and infirme member of the body, to
the increase of that evill disposition
which is to be removed, or else to the
breeding of some other new infirmity.
Object. Some perhaps will here
object and say, that the time of the
yeere, in which this fountaine will be
found to bee most usefuU, will be the
hottest season thereof ; or (if you
like to call it) the dog-daies, when it
will be no fit time to purge at all.
Answ. I. To this I answer and
say : First, the purging medicines
here required are not strong, and
generous but gentle, mild and weake,
such as are styled Benedicta medica-
inenfa : which may with great safetie
and profit bee given either then or at
any other time of the yeere without
any danger, or respect of an}^ such
like circumstance at all.
2. Secondly I answer ; Although
this observation of the dog-dayes might
perhaps be of some moment in hotter
countries, as Greece, where Hippocrates
lived, who first made mention of those
THE ENGLISH SPAW 117
dales : Yet in colder climates, as
England, and such like Countries, they
are of little or small force at all, and
almost not to be regarded any whit,
either in using mild & temperate
purgatives, or almost in any other ;
or in blood-letting : though very many,
or most doe erroniously say and thinke
the contrary. So that (if there be
cause) they may as well and safely
then purge, as at any other time :
Or, if occasion shall urge, as in
plethoricall bodies, and many other
cases, a veine may safely (or rather
most commodiously) be then opened
and so much blood taken away, as
the skilfuU Ph3/sitian shall thinke in
his discretion and wisdome to be
needful! and requisite.
Let no man here think, that this
is any strange position, or a new
paradoxe (for the learned know the
contrary) or that I am studious of
innovation, but rather desirous to
roote out an old and inveterate errour,
which in all probabilitie hath cost
118 THE ENGLISH SPAW
moe Englishmens lives, then would
furnish a royall army, in neglecting
those two greater helpes or remedies,
to wit, Purging, and Blood-letting in
hot seasons of the yeare : which in
all likelihood might have saved many
of their lives, while expecting more
temperate weather, they have beene
summoned in the meane time, or
interim by the messenger of pale
death to appeare in an other world.
Wherefore let all those who are
yet living, bee admonished hereafter
by their examples, not obstinately
and wilfully to eschue and shunne
these two remedies in hot seasons,
and in the time of the Dog-dayes,
(much lesse all other manner of
physicall helpes) not once knowing so
much as why, or wherefore, and
without any reason at all, following
blind and superstitious tradition, and
error, haply first broched by some
unworthy and ignorant Physitian, not
rightly understanding Hippocrates his
saying in all likelyhood, or at least
THE ENGLISH SPAW 119
wise misapplying it. Which hath so
prevailed in these times, that it hath
not onely worne out the use of purg-
ing, but also of all other physicke for
that season, because most people by
the name of physicke understanding
purging onely, and nothing else. As
though the art and science of Physicke
was nothing else, but to give a potion
or purge. Then we rightly and truly
might say, Filia devor avit matrem.
But for as much as most people are
altogether ignorant of the true ground
or reason, from whence this so danger-
ous an error concerning the Dog-
dayes did first spring and arise, give
me leave a little to goe on with this
my digression, for their better instruc-
tion, and satisfaction : and I will briefly,
and in a few lines shew the case, and
the mistake somewhat more plainly.
Hippocrates in his fourth booke of
Aphorismes, the fift, hath these words:
Suh canicula, & ante caniculam
difficiles sunt ptirgationes. That is,
under the canicular, or dog-star, and
120 THE ENGLISH SPAW
before the dog-star, purgations are
painfull and difficilL This is all that
is there said of them, or brought
against them for that season, or time
of the yeare. A great stumbling-
blocke against which many have
dashed their feet, and knockt their
shinnes, and a fearfull scar-crow,
whereat too many have nicely boggled.
Here you doe not find or see purging
medicines to bee then prohibited, or
forbidden to be given at all (much
lesse all other physicke) but onely
said to be difficill in their working :
partly because (as all expositors agree)
nature is then somewhat enfeebled by
the great heat of the weather ; partly
because the humours being then, as it
were, accended are more chaffed by
the heat of the purging medicines ;
partly, and lastly, because two con-
trary motions seeme then to be at
one and the same time, which ma}^
offend nature ; as the great heat of
the weather leading the humours of
the body outwardly to the circumfer-
THE ENGLISH SPAW 121
ence thereof, and the medicine dra\ving
them inwardly to the center. All
which circumstances in our cold region
are little, or nothing at all (as formerly
hath beene mentioned) to be regarded.
For as Jacobus Hollerius, a French
Physitian, much honoured for his
great learning and judgement, hath
very well observed in his Comment
upon this Aphorisme ; Hippocrates
speaketh here onely of those purging
medicines, which are strong, and
vehement, or hot and fiery ; and that
this precept is to take place in most
hot Regions, but not in these cold
Countries, as France, England, and the
like.
Over and beside all this, those
churlish hot purging medicines, which
were then in frequent use in Hip-
pocrates his time, and some hundred
of yeares after, are now for most part
obsolete, and quite growne out of
use, seldom brought in practice by
Physitians in these dayes ; because
we have within these last six hundred
122 THE ENGLISH SPAW
yeares great choice and variety of
more mild, benigne, and gentle purga-
tives found out by the Arabian
Physitians, which were altogether
unknowne unto the ancients, to wit,
Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Galen, &c.
which have little heat, and acrimony,
many whereof are temperate, and
divers cooling, which may most safely
be given either in the hottest times
and seasons of the yeare, or in the
hottest diseases. Let us adde to these
the like familiar and gentle purging
medicines more lately, yea, almost
daily newly found out since the better
discoveries of the East and West
Indies. So that henceforth let no
man feare to take either easie purga-
tives, or other inward Physicke, in the
time of the canicular, or dog-dayes.
The same HoUerms goeth on in the
exposition and interpretation of the
said Aphorisme, and confidently saith :
Over & besides that we have benigne
medicines which we may then tise, as
Cassia, &c. Wee know and finde by
THE ENGLISH SPAW 123
experience no time here with us more
wholsome and more temperat (especi-
ally when the Etesian, or Easterly,
\\dnds do blow) then the Canicular
dayes : so that, wee finde by observa-
tion, that those diseases which are
bred in the moneths of June and July,
doe end in August, and in the Canicular
dayes. Wherefore, if a disease happen
in those dayes, we feare not to open a
veyne divers times, and often, as also
to prescribe more strong purging
medicines.
Wherefore away henceforth with
the scrupulous conceit, and too nice
feare of the Dogge-dayes, and let
their supposed danger be had no more
in remembrance among us. And if
any will yet remaine obstinate, and
still refuse to have their beames pulled
out of their eyes, let them still be
blinde in the middest of the cleare
Sun-shine, and groape on after dark-
ness ; and let all learned Ph3^sitians
rather pitty their follies, then envy
their wits.
124 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. 13.
At what time of the yeare, and at what
houre of the day it is most fit and
meet to drinke this water.
T^O speake in generall tearmes, it
is a fit time to drinke it, when
the ayre is pure, cleare, hot and dry :
for then the water is more tart, and
more easily digested, then at other
times. On the contrary, it is best
to forbeare, when the ayre is cold,
moist, darke, dull and misty : for
then it is more feeble, and harder to
be concocted.
But more specially, the most proper
season to undertake this our English
Spaw dyet, will be from the middest
or latter end of June to the middle of
September, or longer, according as the
season of the yeare shall fall out to
be hot and dry, or otherwise.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 125
Not that in the Spring-time, and in
Winter it is not also good, but for
that the ayre being more pure in
Sommer, the water also must needs be
of greater force and power. Notwith-
standing it may sometime so happen
in Sommer, that by reason of some
extraordinary falling of raine, there
may be a cessation from it for a day or
two. Or if it chance to have rained
over night, it will then be fit and
necessary to refraine from drinking of
it, untill the raine bee passed away
againe: or else (which I like better)
the fountaine laded dry, and filled
againe, which may well be done in an
hower, or two at most.
Touching the time of the day, when
it is best to drinke this water, question-
lesse the most convenient hower will
be in the morning, when the party is
empty, and fasting, about seaven
aclocke : Nature having first dis-
charged her selfe of daily excrements
both by stoole and urine, and the
concoctions perfected. This time is
126 THE ENGLISH SPAW
likewise fittest for exercise, which is
a great good help, and furtherance for
the better distribution of the water,
whereby it doth produce its effects
more speedily.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 127
CHAP. 14.
Of the manner of drinking tliis water,
and the quantitie thereof.
T^HOSE who desire the benefit of
this Fountaine, ought to goe to
it somewhat early in the . morning,
&, if they be able and strong of body,
they may doe verj^ well to walke to it
on foot, or at least wise some part of
the way. Such, as have weake and
feeble leggs may ride on horsebacke,
or be caryed in coaches, or borne in
chaires. As for those, whose infirmi-
ties cause them to keepe their beds, or
chambers, they may drinke the water
in their lodgings, it being speedily
brought to them in a vessell or glasse
well stopt.
It is not my meaning or purpose
to describe here particularly, what
quantitie of it is fit and meet for
128 THE ENGLISH SPAW
every one to drinke ; for this is part of
the taske and office, which belongeth
to the Physitian, who shall be of
counsell with the Patient in preparing
and well ordering of him ; who is to
consider all the severall circumstances,
as well of the maladie or disease it
selfe, as of his habite and constitution,
&c. Neverthelesse I may advise, that
at the first it be moderate^ taken,
increasing the quantitie daily by
degrees, untill they shall come at
last to the full height of the proportion
appointed, and thought to be meet
and necessary. There they are then
to stay, and so to continue at that
quantitie, so long as it shall be need-
full. For example, the first morning
may happel}^ be i6 or i8 ounces, and
so on by degrees to 20. 30. 40. 50. 60.
or moe, in people, who are of good
and strong constitutions. Towards
the ending, the abatement ought like-
wise to be made by degrees, as the
increment was formerly made by little
and little.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 129
Here by the way every one must be
admonished to take notice, that it is
not ahvayes best to drinke most, lest
they chance to oppresse and over-
charge Nature, that would rather be
content with lesse. It will therefore
be more safe, to take it rather some-
what sparingly, though for a longer
time, then liberally and for a short
time. But, indeed the truest and
justest proportion of it, is ever to be
made and esteemed, by the good and
laudable concoction of it, and by the
due and orderly voiding of it againe.
It will not be here amisse to adde
this one observation further ; That it
is better to drinke this water once a
day, then twice, and that in the
mornings, after that the Sunne hath
dryed up & consumed the vapors
retained through the coldnesse of the
night, &c. as is formerly declared.
After drinking it, it will be needfull
to abstaine from meat & other drinke
for the space of three or foure dayes.
[hours ?]
9
130 THE ENGLISH SPAW
But if any one, who hath a good
stomacke, shall be desirous to take
it twice a day ; or if any shall bee
necessarily compelled so to doe for
some urgent cause, by the approbation
of his Physitian, let him dine somewhat
sparingly, and drinke it not againe,
untill five houres after dinner be past,
or not untill the concoction of meat
and drinke in the stomacke be per-
fected : Observing likewise, that hee
content himselfe in the afternoones
with almost halfe the quantity he
useth to take in the mornings.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 131
CHAP. 15.
Of the manner of dyet to be observed by
those who shall use this water.
TpHE regiment of life in meats and
drinks, ought chiefly to consist
in the right and moderate use of
those, which are of light and easie
digestion, and of good and wholesome
nourishment, breeding laudable juice.
Therefore all those are to be avoyded,
which beget crude and ill humours.
There ought furthermore speciall
notice to be taken, that great diversity
of meats and dishes at one meale is
very hurtfull, as also much condiments,
sauces, spice, fat, &c. in their dressing
and cookery.
I commend hens, capons, pullets,
chickens, partridge, phesants, turkies,
and generally all such small birds, as
live in woods, hedges, and mountaines.
132 THE ENGLISH SPAW
Likewise I doe approve of veale,
mutton, kid, lambe, rabbets, young
hare or leverits, &c. All which (for
the most part) are rather to be roasted
then boyled. Neverthelesse those,
who are affected with any dry distem-
per, or those, who otherwise are so
accustomed to feed, may have their
meats sodden ; but the plainer
dressing, the better.
I discommend all salt meats, beefe,
bacon, porke, larde, and larded meats,
hare, venison, tripes, and the entrailes
of beasts, puddings made with blood,
pig, goose, swan, teale, mallard, and
such like ; and in generall all water-
fowle, as being of hard digestion and
ill nutriment.
Amongst the severall kinds of fishes,
trouts, pearches, loaches, and for
most part, all scaly fish of brookes,
and fresh rivers may well bee per-
mitted. Moreover smelts, soales, dabs,
whitings, sturbuts, gurnets, and all
such other, as are well knowne not
to be ill, or unwholesome to feed on.
THE ENGLISH SPAW 133
All which may be altered with mint,
hyssope, anise, &c. Also cre-fishes,
crab-fish, lobsters, and the like, may
bee permitted.
Cunger, salmon, eeles, lampries,
herrings, salt-ling, all salt-fish, sturgion,
anchovies, oysters, cockles, muscles,
and the like shell-fish are to be dis-
allowed.
White-meats, as milke, cruds,
creame, old cheese, custards, white-
pots, pudding-pyes, and other like
milke-meats, (except sweet butter
and new creame cheese) are to be for-
bidden. Soft and reer egges we doe
not prohibit.
Raisons with almonds, bisket-bread,
marchpane-stuffe, suckets, and the like,
are not here forbidden to be eaten.
Let their bread be made of wheat,
ver}^ well wrought, fermented or
leavened ; and let their drinke be
beere well boyled and brewed: and
let it bee stale, or old enough, but in
no wise tart, sharp, or sower : And
above all let them forbeare to mixe
134 THE ENGLISH SPAW
the water of the fountaine with their
drinke at meales : for that may cause
many inconveniences to follow, and
ensue.
Let me advise them to eschew
apples, peares, plumbs, codlings,
gooseberries, and all such like sommer
fruits, either raw, in tarts, or other
wise : Also pease, and all other pulse ;
all cold sallets, and raw hearbs ;
onions, leekes, chives, cabbage or
coleworts, pompons, cucumbers, and
the like.
In stead of cheese at the end of
meales, it will not bee amisse to eate
citron, or lemon pils condited, or else
fenell, anise, coriander comfits, or
biskets and carawayes, as well for to
discusse and expell wind, as to shut
and close the stomacke, for the better
furthering the digestion of meats and
drinkes. And for that purpose, it would
bee much better, if the Physitian,
who is of counsell, should appoint and
ordaine some fit and proper Tragea
in grosse powder mixed with sugar,
THE ENGLISH SPAW 135
or else made into little cakes or morsels.
Likewise marmalade of quinces, either
simple or compomid, (such as the
Physitians do often prescribe to their
patients) may be used very commodi-
ously.
After dinner they ought to use no
violent exercise, neither ought they
to sit still, sadly, heavy, and musing,
nor to slumber, and sleepe ; but rather
to stirre a little, and to raise up the
spirits for an houre or two, by some
fit recreation. After supper they may
take a walke into the fields, or Castle
yard.
136 THE ENGLISH SPAW
CHAP. i6
Of the Symtomes or accidents, which
may now and then chance to happen
to some one or other in the use of
this water.
A LTHOUGH those who are of good
and strong constitutions, observ-
ing the aforenamed direction, doe
seldome or never receive any harme,
or detriment by drinking this water :
notwithstanding it may sometime so
fall forth, that some of the weaker
sort may perhaps observe some little,
or small inconvenience thereby, as
retention of it in the body : inflation
of the bellie : costivenesse, and the
like. Wherefore to gratifie those, a
word [or] two of every one shall suffice.
First then, for to cause a more
ready and speedy passage of it by
urine, it will not be amisse to counsell
the partie after his returne to his
TFIE ENGLISH SPAW 137
lodging to goe to his naked bed for
an houre or two, that thereby warm-
nesse, and naturall heat may be
brought into each part of the body,
the passages more opened, and nature
by that meanes made more fit and
apt for the expulsion of it. During
which time it will be very requisite
to apply hot cloathes to the stomack :
but not so as to provoke sweat. Or
else, to cause it to voyd and evacuate
either by urine, stoole, or sweat, exer-
cise will be a good helpe and further-
ance : if the party be fit for it. But if
neither of these will prevaile, then a
sharp glyster ought to be administered.
The inflation or swelling of the
belly hapneth principally to those,
who have feeble and weake stomacks ;
who may do very wel to eate anise,
fenell, or coriander comfits at the
fountaine betweene every draught, and
to walke a little after ; or else some
carminative Lozenges, made with
grosse powders, spices and seeds for
breaking of wind : or what other
138 THE ENGLISH SPAW
thing the learned Physitian shall
deeme to be most fit and proper in
his wisdome, and judgment. But if
the inflation chance to be very great,
then a carminative glyster must be
ordained.
Such as shall be very costive may
doe well to eat moistning meats, and
to use mollifying hearbes, raisons
stoned, corants, damascene prunes,
butter, or the yolkes of egges, and the
like in their broths, or pottage. If
these will not be sufficient, then let
a day be spared from drinking the
water, and let the party take some
lenitive medicine, as laxative corants,
or some such like thing : whereof
the Physitian hath ever great choice
and variety, wherewith he can fit
directly every one his case ; to whom
present recourse ever ought to be
had, when any of these, or the like
accidents doe happen, as likewise in
all other cases of waight and moment.
FINIS.
ERR A TA .
Page lo, line 7, read Pouhon.
Page 54, line 14, read summarised.
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